The Impact of Weight Loss on Quality of Life in Overweight Women with Irregular Menses

Abstract

Despite evidence that weight loss improves reproductive outcomes and quality of life (QoL), little is known about the factors that influence QoL among overweight women with irregular menses during weight loss intervention. Thus, we examined the 1) validity of a modified QoL instrument related to oligoamenorrhea and 2) impact of weight loss on QoL among overweight women with irregular menses.Participants (N=17) completed a subset of questions based on a validated QoL questionnaire (PCOSQ) before and after a 3 month hypocaloric diet. Higher scores indicated lower or worse QoL. Simple linear regression was used to examine associations between directly observed clinical characteristics and QoL scores. Changes in scores on the 5 QoL domains (emotion, hirsutism, infertility, weight, menstrual problems) were assessed by paired t‐tests or Wilcoxon Signed‐Rank tests.The dietary intervention led to an average weight loss of ‐8.3 kg (P<0.0001). At baseline, clinical evidence of hirsutism was associated with QoL hirsutism domain (r = 0.71, P<0.002), and measured weight was associated with QoL weight domain (r = 0.48, P = 0.05), supporting the instrument as a valid measure of QoL. At post‐intervention, all QoL scores decreased from baseline (P<0.05), thus indicating better QoL after weight loss. Changes in scores were driven by changes in questions about facial hirsutism, fatigue, menstrual cramps, weight maintenance and infertility‐related unhappiness.The modified PCOSQ was an appropriate instrument to measure QoL in this sample. Weight loss was associated with improved QoL related to reproductive dysfunction among overweight women with irregular menses. Further analyses will be performed to determine potential interactions between weight loss, reproductive outcomes and QoL.