Quality of life and its relation with corporal mass and satisfaction with the weight in schoolchildren

Objective: to evaluate the quality of life and its relationship with the nutritional status and weight satisfaction. Method: cross-sectional observational study which quantitative approach, performed with 407 schoolchildren between 8 and 12 years-old registered in public schools in Vitória (ES), Brazil. Quality of life data was obtained through the application of Autoquestionnaire Qualité de Vie Enfant Imagé. The nutritional status was settled by Body Mass Index and the weight satisfaction was obtained with a closed question. The research project was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Center for Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil (n° 032/08). Results: in the sample studied, 79,4% (n=323) have evaluated positively their quality of life. The 72,7% (n=296) was categorized as eutrophics, 6,1% (n=25) had low weight, 11,3% (n=46) overweight and 9,3% (n=38) obesity. Regarding weight satisfaction, 78,6% (n=320) said that they were satisfied. The results didn’t show evidence between quality of life and nutritional status among the students. Despite of that, this paper shows that the fact of the children or adolescent being satisfied with their weight is associated positively with a better perception about quality of life. Conclusion: this way, we can affirm that, in the group studied, what indeed interfere in the quality of life is the satisfaction with weight and not the real nutritional status, implying the subjective peculiarity of the theme quality of life. Descriptors: quality of life; child; adolescent; weight perception; nutritional status. RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a qualidade de vida e sua relação com o estado nutricional e a satisfação com o peso. Método: estudo observacional do tipo seccional, com abordagem quantitativa, realizado com 407 escolares de 08 a 12 anos matriculados na rede pública de ensino do município de Vitória (ES). Os dados sobre a qualidade de vida foram obtidos com a aplicação do Autoquestionnaire Qualité de Vie Enfant Imagé. O estado nutricional foi ...