Correlation between body mass index and health related quality of life among patients with mental disorders

Overweight and obesity are serious public health issues in the twenty-first century. The obesity epidemic impacts a disproportionate number of people with severe mental illnesses, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and neurotic disorders. The magnitude of obesity among patients with mental disorders should be communicated to stakeholders and policymakers through updated prevalence data. This will serve as the basis for strategies and interventions that aim to reduce health disparities within this population. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and to assess how this relationship is influenced by background variables in patients with mental disorders.

A non-experimental correlation research design was employed among 145 patients with mental disorders attending the psychiatric ward and outpatient department (OPD) at a tertiary care hospital. The participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The data collection tools included background variables, Body Mass Index (BMI) and a Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

In the present study, 92 participants (63.4%) were aged between 20 and 40 years, and 73 (50.3%) were male. Regarding family type, 78 participants (52.3%) belonged to joint families. The majority were categorized as overweight (n = 64; 44.1%), while only 36 (24.8%) had a normal BMI, and 30 (20.7%) were classified as having Class II obesity. There was a weak positive significant co-relationship found between the body mass index and health-related quality of life (Domains) such as General Health (GH) (r = 0.17, p = 0.03) and Physical functioning (PF) (r = 0.25, p = 0.002).

The presence of chronic medical comorbidities, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, substance use disorders, psychosis, and bipolar disorders can significantly worsen the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with mental disorders. Regular assessment of HRQoL using both objective and subjective measures should be integrated into routine follow-up visits.