Obesity-related disability: key factors identified by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

Authors: Raggi, Alberto¹; Brunani, Amelia²; Sirtori, Anna²; Liuzzi, Antonio²; Berselli, Maria Elisa²; Villa, Valentina²; Ceriani, Francesca³; Leonardi, Matilde¹

Source: Disability and Rehabilitation, Volume 32, Number 24, March 2010 , pp. 2028-2034(7)

Publisher: Informa Healthcare

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Abstract:

Purpose. To identify obese patients' disability features considering the level of body impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions in relation to environmental factors' effect.

Method. Adult obese inpatients (BMI > 35) were enrolled and were administered a set of 166 ICF categories. Count-based indexes were developed for each ICF component: correlations and regression on performance and capacity indexes were performed.

Results. Fifty-one patients (62.7% females, mean age 38.1) entered in the study. Description of ICF-based disability components is reported. Capacity is better correlated with body functions (r = 0.619, P < 0.01) and body structures (r = 0.375, P < 0.01) than performance; on the contrary, environmental barriers are correlated better with performance (r = 0.531, P < 0.01) than with capacity. Impairments in body functions and environmental barriers are the best predictors of limitations both in capacity and in performance.

Conclusions. Through this multidisciplinary approach, supported by ICFs biopsychosocial model, we described functioning and disability in obese patients, highlighting the strong effect of body functions' impairments and the limited one of environmental factors. This approach can guide rehabilitation programmes, the promotion of positive health outcomes and the modification of patients' lifestyle, not only intended as an issue of barriers' elimination, but as the activation and maintenance of environmental facilitators.

Keywords: Obesity; disability; ICF classification

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09638281003797372

Affiliations: 1: 1Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit - Scientific Directorate, Neurological Institute C. Besta IRCCS Foundation, Milan, Italy 2: 2Department of Internal Medicine, Ospedale San Giuseppe IRCCS, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, Italy 3: 3Psychological Department, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste, Italy

Publication date: 2010-03-01

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Obesity-related disability: key factors identified by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

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