Weight-related quality of life in obese, pregnant women in South Africa

Objective: The global obesity pandemic includes pregnant women. Obesity may negatively impact quality of life (QOL). A validated, obesity-specific, QOL assessment tool was used to assess the impact of obesity on five specific domains.Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed at Tygerberg Academic Hospital in South Africa. Morbid obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 40–49.9 kg/m2 and super-obesity as BMI > 50 kg/m2, using the first recorded weight during the pregnancy. Pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 40 were approached in the high-risk antenatal clinic where written informed consent was taken before recruitment. Using the QOL tool they answered statements about their current experiences.Results: A total of 66 morbidly obese and 46 super-obese women were enrolled across an age range of 18–45 years. Physical function and self-esteem were the domains with the lowest QOL scores. When comparing morbid with super obesity, all scores were significantly lower in the latter group except for the dom...