Impact of body mass index on the intensity of pain and quality of life in an obese population

Abstract

There is a growing incidence of obesity around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is conferred by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg m⁻². Several studies demonstrated that individuals experience pain with the rise in the body mass index. The causal link between the two remains unclear as yet. World Health Organization defines the quality of life (QoL) as, ”an individual’s perception of their position in life, in context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and with their expectations, standards and concerns”. Quality of life is a sizeable multidimensional term that typically involves subjective evaluations of both the positive and the negative aspects of life. To study the effect of body mass index on the intensity of pain and quality of life. One hundred four obese individuals with the presence of pain were provided with the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Short Form Health Survey-36. Their BMI was taken. The type of study was cross-sectional, and the study design was a survey (Questionnaire) method. BMI and pain intensity are directly related to each other. Obesity leads to an increase in the pain intensity and affects the quality of life of obese individuals. As the BMI increases the pain intensity of the individuals also increases. The quality of life depends upon BMI. The quality of life is affected in the obese population.