RESEARCH PAPER
The Quality of Life with Obesity (QUOLO) questionnaire – a validation study
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1
Department of Human Physiology and Pathophysiology, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Poland
2
Military Institute of Medicine – National Research Institute, Departments of General, Oncological, Metabolic and Thoracic Surgery, Poland
3
Faculty of Medicine, University of Warsaw, Poland
4
Faculty of Medicine, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Poland
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2025-09-22
Acceptance date: 2025-11-12
Publication date: 2026-06-30
Corresponding author
Maciej Walędziak
Wojskowy Instytut Medyczny – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Kliniki Chirurgii Ogólnej, Onkologicznej, Metabolicznej i Torakochirurgii, Warszawa, Polska
LW 2026;104(2):144-150
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ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective: As the prevalence of obesity continues to rise, understanding its impact on quality of life has become increasingly important for healthcare providers and researchers. The aim of the study was to validate the Quality of Life with Obesity (QUOLO) questionnaire, a tool designed to assess quality of life among individuals with obesity. Material and methods: The QUOLO questionnaire is a comprehensive health and wellness survey with a total of 67 questions covering demographics, health conditions, psychological well-being, and social factors. This cross-sectional study included 117 participants. Results: The study revealed several unexpected patterns, with underweight individuals reporting slightly higher quality-of-life scores and obese individuals showing lower general health scores but similar overall quality of life. Higher BMI was associated with lower levels of shame and reduced fear of social contact. Male participants reported higher levels of psychological distress across multiple domains compared with females, which diverges from typical population patterns. Conclusions: The absence of strong associations between BMI and quality of life in this sample suggests that body weight may not be as deterministic of subjective well-being as commonly assumed.