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Lower extremity pain in obese children linked to reduced psychosocial health
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Obese children with pain in their hips, knees, feet and ankles are more likely to have poorer quality of life and reduced function than obese children without pain, according to researchers from Ohio.
“Our findings support the importance of investigating lower extremity pain as part of the evaluation and management of obese children,” Sharon Bout-Tabaku, MD, and colleagues from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, stated in a press release. “Lower extremity pain may play a role in reduced compliance with weight management programs, exercise regimes, or physical activity recommendations for obese children.”
Of 175 obese children analyzed, 51 children reported lower extremity pain and scored lower on psychosocial health and physical function than obese children without pain. Researchers also reported a positive correlation with obesity severity and scores trending downward, according to the press release.
Bout-Tabaku and colleagues noted that poor physical fitness was unrelated to pain in the children. In addition to physical fitness, psychosocial health, physical function and lower extremity pain, researchers also analyzed age, race, gender and puberty state for mitigating factors.
Reference:
Bout-Tabaku S. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2012;doi:10.1007/s11999-012-2620-0.
