Associations between body mass index and health-related quality of life among Australian adults

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HQoL), as measured by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) within a sample with broad population coverage. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Survey data incorporating the SF-36 questionnaire, height and weight were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 9,771 Australians aged 21 or older (4,649 men and 5,122 women). Linear multiple regression methods were employed to estimate the magnitude of association between BMI classes and HQoL variables, adjusting for disability and other covariates. RESULTS: Less than 1% of men and just 3.5% of women were classified as underweight while 52.2% of w..