The Relationship between Body Mass Index and Health-Related Quality of Life

Study Objectives: This paper explores the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), measured using EQ-5D, for men and women within a national population sample. Methods: Data were taken from the 1996 Health Survey for England, an annual survey commissioned by the UK Department of Health. HRQoL was measured using EQ-5D. Informants’ BMI was calculated from height and weight measurements collected by trained nurses. Details of any long-standing illness were also collected. Complete data was available for 11,783 cases aged 18 years or more. Main Results: There were significant differences in EQ-5D by BMI category, although the nature of the relationship between EQ-5D and BMI differed by gender. For women, significant differences in EQ-5Dindex could be observed for each BMI category, which was independent of age and the presence of long-standing illness. For men, being classified within the obese BMI range was associated with poor EQ5Dindex score, although this relationship disappeared after accounting for age and long-standing illness. The EQ-5D pain and mobility dimensions showed the greatest change in reported problems with increasing BMI. Analysis showed little relationship between BMI and the EQ-5D anxiety/depression dimension. Discussion: Most of the apparent relationship between BMI and HRQoL could be accounted for by age and the presence of long-standing illness. However women’s HRQoL did appear to be sensitive to their weight. Further investigation of the nature of the gender differences in the relationship between BMI and HRQoL would be useful.