Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the interconnections between specific quality-of-life domains in patients with obesity and high or low physical performance using a network approach. Methods: 716 consecutive female and male patients (aged 18–65 years) with obesity seeking weight-loss treatment were included. The 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the six-minute walking test (6MWT) were used to assess quality of life and physical performance, respectively. The sample was split into two groups according to the distance walked in the 6MWT. Network structures of the SF-36 domains in the two groups were assessed and compared, and the relative importance of individual items in the network structures was determined using centrality analyses. Results: 35.3% (n = 253) of participants covered more distance than expected, and 64.7% (n = 463) did not. Although low-performing patients showed lower quality of life domain scores, the network structures were similar in the two groups, with the SF-36 Vitality representing the central domain in both networks. Mental Health was a node with strong connections in patients who walked less distance. Conclusions: These findings indicate that psychosocial variables represent the most influential and interconnected features as regards quality of life in both groups.
Highlights
Obesity is a condition characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue; it is linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, disability, and mortality [1], and is often associated with poor physical fitness levels, e.g., muscle strength [2], and cardiorespiratory fitness [3]
This study aimed to evaluate the interconnections between quality-of-life domains in patients with obesity and either low or high physical performance levels using a network approach
Network comparisons provided interesting insight into the most interlinked quality of life domains in patients with obesity and low and high physical performance levels, revealing similar network structures, with Vitality playing a central role among quality of life variables
Summary
Obesity is a condition characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue; it is linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, disability, and mortality [1], and is often associated with poor physical fitness levels, e.g., muscle strength [2], and cardiorespiratory fitness [3] Both obesity and physical performance are associated with quality of life. Some evidence supports a link between quality of life and physical fitness in adolescent patients with obesity, and a recent study indicated cardiorespiratory fitness as the main mediator in the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and quality of life [5] This relationship requires a more in-depth investigation in adults.
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