¹Bongseng Memorial Hospital, Psychiatry, Busan, Korea, Republic of

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is a multidimensional concept reflecting individuals’ subjective perceptions of health and well-being beyond disease status or survival. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), encompassing physical, mental, and social aspects of health, is widely used in chronic disease management, elderly care, and mental health, and is also monitored in national surveys such as KNHANES. Prior studies indicate that biological, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors—including age, income, education, stress, and health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, physical activity, sleep, and obesity—are major determinants of HRQoL. In Korea, the HINT-8 instrument was introduced in 2019 to replace EQ-5D, offering culturally adapted, more sensitive assessment of HRQoL with strong validity and reliability.

Aims & Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between obesity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Korean adults.

Method: This study utilized data from the ninth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A total of 5,620 adults aged 19 years and older were included after excluding cases with missing data. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m², and HRQoL was measured using the HINT-8 (Health-related Quality of Life Instrument with 8 Items). A complex sampling design and appropriate weights were applied. Differences in HRQoL by general characteristics and obesity were analyzed using general linear models, and multiple linear regression was conducted to identify factors associated with HRQoL.

Results: Among women, obesity was significantly associated with lower HINT-8 scores (B = -0.008, p = .032) even after adjusting for potential confounders. However, no statistically significant association was observed between obesity and HRQoL among men. Other factors including age, household income, educational level, perceived stress, and smoking status were significantly related to HRQoL in both sexes.

Discussion & Conclusions: Obesity has a negative impact on the quality of life among Korean adult women, whereas no significant association was observed in men. These findings emphasize the importance of sex-specific approaches in obesity management and support the application of culturally tailored tools such as HINT-8 in evaluating health-related quality of life.