Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate reliability and validity of a 27-item Korean Version of the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life in adolescents ($IWQOL-Kids^{(C)}$: Korean Version). Methods: This instrument was administered to 872 adolescents (mean z-BMI: 2.61, mean $age{\pm}SD$: $13.9{\pm}1.2$, male: 51.9%). Reliability was tested by internal consistency method and item analysis, validity test was performed by index of content validity, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and concurrent validity. Sensitivity was tested by ANOVA and t-test. Analyses were performed using SPSS and Amos 18.0. Results: By an exploratory factor analysis, 4 factors were extracted; 'Body esteem' consisted of 9 items with 35.9% of variance (social life: 6 items, 10.23%, physical comfort: 6 items, 8.21%, family relations: 6 items, 7.0%). Four factors explained 61.34% of total variance. Internal consistency coefficients ranged from .766 to .929 for scales on 27 items and equal to .920 for total score for both the 26-item and 27-item tools. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the convergent validity and discriminant validity. The standardized factor loadings to test the convergent validity showed more than .5(C.R<1.965) on all paths after deletion of item PC1 (avoid stairs). The average variances extracted were more than .50 and the construct reliabilities were more than .70. The average variances extracted were stronger than the squares of correlation coefficient of inter-latent variables. Conclusions: These results support that the $IWQOL-Kids^{(C)}$: Korean Version with a 26-item is a reliable and valid tool in Korean obese adolescents.