Self‐Reported Body Mass Index and Health‐Related Quality of Life: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

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Abstract
Objective: To examine the relationship between self‐reported body mass index (BMI) and health‐related quality of life in the general adult population in the United States.Research Methods and Procedures: Using data from 109,076 respondents in the 1996 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we examined how self‐reported BMI is associated with five health‐related quality of life measures developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for population health surveillance.Results: After adjusting for age, gender, race or ethnicity, educational attainment, employment status, smoking status, and physical activity status, participants with a self‐reported BMI of 2 and participants with a self‐reported BMI of ≥30 kg/m2 reported impaired quality of life. Compared with persons with a self‐reported BMI of 18.5 to 2, odds ratios (ORs) of poor or fair self‐rated health increased among persons with self‐reported BMIs of 2 (1.12, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.20), 30 to 2 (1.65, 95% CI: 1.50 to 1.81), 35 to 2 (2.58, 95% CI: 2.21 to 3.00), and ≥40 kg/m2 (3.23, 95% CI: 2.63 to 3.95); ORs for reporting ≥14 days of poor physical health during the previous 30 days were 1.44 (95% CI: 1.21 to 1.72), 1.04 (95% CI: 0.96 to 1.14), 1.32 (95% CI: 1.19 to 1.47), 1.80 (95% CI: 1.52 to 2.13), and 2.37 (95% CI: 1.90 to 2.94), respectively; ORs for having ≥14 days of poor mental health during the previous 30 days were 1.18 (95% CI: 0.97 to 1.42), 1.02 (95% CI: 0.95 to 1.11), 1.22 (95% CI: 1.10 to 1.36), 1.68 (95% CI: 1.42 to 1.98), and 1.66 (95% CI: 1.32 to 2.09), respectively.Discussion: In the largest study to date, low and increased self‐reported BMI significantly impaired health‐related quality of life. Particularly, deviations from normal BMI affected physical functioning more strongly than mental functioning.