Original Article

International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 185–191; doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803687; published online 24 July 2007

Metabolic syndrome, psychological status and quality of life in obesity: the QUOVADIS Study

F Corica1, A Corsonello2,3, G Apolone4, E Mannucci5, M Lucchetti2, C Bonfiglio1, N Melchionda6, G Marchesini7 and the QUOVADIS Study Group

  1. 1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
  2. 2Italian National Research Center on Aging (INRCA), Ancona and Cosenza, Italy
  3. 3Fondazione San Raffaele, Cittadella della Carità, Taranto, Italy
  4. 4Clinical Research Laboratory, Institute of Pharmacological Research Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
  5. 5Unit of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
  6. 6Metabolic Unit 'Alma Mater Studiorum' University, Bologna, Italy
  7. 7Unit of Clinical Dietetics, 'Alma Mater Studiorum' University, Bologna, Italy

Correspondence: Dr A Corsonello, Italian National Research Centres on Aging (INRCA), Contrada Muoio Piccolo, Viale della Resistenza, Pal. Alfa Scala H, I-87036 Rende (CS), Cosenza, Italy. E-mail: andrea_corsonello@tin.it

Received 27 February 2007; Revised 22 May 2007; Accepted 25 May 2007; Published online 24 July 2007.

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Abstract

Objective:

 

We aimed to investigate the association of the clinical variables of the metabolic syndrome (MS) and psychological parameters on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in obesity. In particular, our aim was to investigate the relative impact of physical symptoms, somatic diseases and psychological distress on both the physical and the mental domains of HRQL.

Design:

 

Cross-sectional study.

Subjects:

 

A cohort of 1822 obese outpatients seeking treatment in medical centers.

Measurements:

 

HRQL was measured by the standardized summary scores for physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) components of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Patients were grouped according to tertiles of PCS and MCS. Metabolic and psychological profiles of PCS and MCS tertiles were compared by discriminant analysis.

Results:

 

The profile of metabolic and psychological variables was tertile-specific in 62.4 and 68.3% of patients in the lowest and highest tertiles of PCS, respectively, while concordance was low in the mid-tertile (32.8%). Concordance was very high in the lowest (74.4%) and in the highest (75.5%) tertiles of MCS, and was fair in the mid-tertile (53.2%). The main correlates of PCS were obesity-specific and general psychological well-being, BMI, body uneasiness, binge eating, gender and psychiatric distress. Only hypertension and hyperglycemia qualified as correlates among the components of MS. The components of MS did not define MCS.

Conclusions:

 

Psychological well-being is the most important correlate of HRQL in obesity, both in the physical and in the mental domains, whereas the features of MS correlate only to some extent with the physical domain of HRQL.

Keywords:

metabolic syndrome, well-being, psychological status, health-related quality of life, observational study

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