This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Prevalence of pediatric obesity has increased dramatically in the past three decades with current estimates indicating that approximately 15.5% of children and adolescents are obese. There is a growing literature documenting the health consequences of obesity, however, the greater immediate costs of pediatric obesity may be psychosocial. Recent studies document obese children/adolescents pursuing weight management treatment report poorer HRQOL across all domains of functioning (physical, emotional, social, and school). However, pediatric obesity researchers have had to solely rely on generic HRQOL measures which often lack the specificity and sensitivity needed to better understand a particular disease population. In contrast, disease-specific instruments focus on the domains and symptoms most relevant to a particular disease. To date, there are no published obesity-specific HRQOL measures for children and adolescents. The primary purpose of this study is to validate both self-report and parent-proxy measures of obesity-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for youth (ages 5-18). Additional aims of the present study are to examine the relation between HRQOL and self-concept, depressive symptoms, and perceived social support in obese treatment-seeking youth and whether these associations vary by gender, race, or age.
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