Article - Impact of physical activity and bodyweight on health-related quality of life in people with type two diabetes

Purpose: Increasing obesity prevalence rates in the general population are reflected in patients with type two diabetes. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is negatively affected in patients who are overweight or have diabetes, but physical activity (PA) is proven to have positive side effects on the perceived quality of life. Little is known about the relationship of PA with obesity, diabetes, and HRQoL. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between HRQoL and PA in type 2 diabetics in association with the severity of overweight.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter cohort study involving 370 outpatients with type 2 diabetes. Participants completed the SF-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the Freiburger Questionnaire for Physical Activity (FFkA). Endurance capacity was tested with a 2 km walking test. t-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation test, and multiple regression analyses were performed.