Foot, knee and hip pain a problem in obese children

October 16, 2012 in Overweight and Obesity

feet, ankles, knees and hips - contributes to both poor physical function and a reduced quality of life in obese children, according to a new study by Dr. Sharon Bout-Tabaku and colleagues, from Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University in the US. Their work shows that obese children with lower extremity pain have worse physical function and poorer psychological health than obese children without lower extremity pain. Their findings appear online in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®, published by Springer.

Obese children show diminished function, reduced psychosocial health (emotional, social and school functioning), and lower compared with healthy weight peers. For these children, pain in the lower extremities is more common than pain in the upper extremities and back. However, it remains unclear whether pain interferes with physical fitness or in obese children.

The researchers examined the medical charts of 175 obese children; of those, 51 reported lower extremity pain while 124 had no pain. The medical records included data on age, sex, race, puberty stage, lower extremity pain, physical function, psychosocial health and physical fitness.

Although poor physical fitness was not related to having pain, children who reported lower extremity pain scored lower on physical function and psychosocial health than those who felt no pain. In addition, as the severity of obesity increased, there was a progressive decline in physical function, psychosocial health and fitness scores among those who reported lower extremity pain.

The authors conclude: "Our findings support the importance of investigating lower extremity pain as part of the evaluation and management of obese children. Lower extremity pain may play a role in reduced compliance with weight management programs, exercise regimes, or physical activity recommendations for ."

More information: Bout-Tabaku S et al (2012). Lower extremity pain is associated with reduced function and psychosocial health in obese children. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research; DOI 10.1007/s11999-012-2620-0

Journal reference: Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research search and more info website

Provided by Springer search and more info website

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Children of married parents less likely to be obese

Children living in households where the parents are married are less likely to be obese, according to new research from Rice University and the University of Houston.

Overweight and Obesity created May 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Overeating learned in infancy, study suggests

In the long run, encouraging a baby to finish the last ounce in their bottle might be doing more harm than good.

Overweight and Obesity created May 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Addiction to unhealthy foods could help explain the global obesity epidemic

Research presented today shows that high-fructose corn syrup can cause behavioural reactions in rats similar to those produced by drugs of abuse such as cocaine. These results, presented by addiction expert Francesco Leri, ...

Overweight and Obesity created May 22, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Genetic risk for obesity found in many Mexican young adults

As many as 35 percent of Mexican young adults may have a genetic predisposition for obesity, said a University of Illinois scientist who conducted a study at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosί.

Overweight and Obesity created May 21, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

'Doctor shopping' by obese patients negatively affects health

Overweight and obese patients are significantly more likely than their normal-weight counterparts to repeatedly switch primary care doctors, a practice that disrupts continuity of care and leads to more emergency room visits, ...

Overweight and Obesity created May 21, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Engineered cytomegalovirus protects monkeys from HIV equivalent

(Medical Xpress)—A new study by researchers in the US has shown that an ancient virus can be modified to help in the fight against the simian immunodeficiency virus SIV, which is the equivalent in monkeys ...

Researchers identify first drug targets in childhood genetic tumor disorder

Two mutations central to the development of infantile myofibromatosis (IM)—a disorder characterized by multiple tumors involving the skin, bone, and soft tissue—may provide new therapeutic targets, according to researchers ...

Hormone levels may provide key to understanding psychological disorders in women

Women at a particular stage in their monthly menstrual cycle may be more vulnerable to some of the psychological side-effects associated with stressful experiences, according to a study from UCL.

Are there atheists in foxholes? Study says they're the minority

Ernie Pyle – an iconic war correspondent in World War II – reportedly said "There are no atheists in foxholes." A new joint study between two brothers at Cornell and Virginia Wesleyan found that only ...

Going live: Immune cell activation in multiple sclerosis

Biological processes are generally based on events at the molecular and cellular level. To understand what happens in the course of infections, diseases or normal bodily functions, scientists would need to ...

Help at hand for people with schizophrenia

How can healthy people who hear voices help schizophrenics? Finding the answer for this is at the centre of research conducted at the University of Bergen.