Determinants of quality of life and emotional well‐being in a bariatric surgery seeking cohort of 1501 multi‐ethnic Asian patients

Summary Objective The relationship between ethnicity, obesity and health‐related quality of life outcomes in a multi‐ethnic population remains poorly understood. We aim to investigate the relationship between ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), obesity‐associated diseases, as well as determinants of quality of life (QoL) in Southeast Asian patients with obesity. We aim to develop and validate a simple objective score to identify patients with obesity at high risk for major depression. Methods Associations between ethnicity, obesity‐associated diseases, BMI and determinants of QoL (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 and 36‐Item Short Form Survey) were analysed using multivariate logistic regression in a prospective cohort of 1501 patients with obesity. Multivariate regression and receiver operating characteristics curves were used to develop and validate a novel scoring system to identify patients at risk of major depression. Results Patients of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity had increased risk of hypertension (odds ratio [OR]: 1.51 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19–1.92, p