Fitness as mediator between weight status and dimensions of health-related quality of life

Abstract

[...]this linear-causal relationship between Weight Status → Physical Fitness → HRQoL is not enough to fully understand this phenomenon. [...]need to know, through mediation analysis, how operate the Physical Fitness between weight status and HRQoL dimensions. Regarding to mediation analysis, the results showed that the negative association between overweight/obesity and HRQoL is softened by the level of Physical Fitness. [...]Physical Fitness is a mediator in the relationship between overweight/obesity children and the most of dimensions of HRQoL, except the School functioning in boys and the School and Emotional functioning in girls. Keywords * Physical fitness * Overweight * Obesity * Mediation analysis * Quality of life Background The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents has continuously been increasing in Spain [1] and most European countries since the 1990s [2]. [...]maintaining public health strategies is necessary to reduce this phenomenon since overweight and obesity have been associated with a number of comorbidities related to physical and psychological health [3–5] such as high risk of hypertension, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes [6]. [...]it does not have a mediating role in the School dimension. [...]it seems that the PF not only has a mediating effect on the Physical dimension, Total Health and self-perception of health, but also over dimensions more closely related to psychosocial and peer relationships.