Impact of Weight on Quality of Life (IWQOL^©)

IWQOL is a copyrighted, validated self-report measure of obesity-specific quality of life.

IWQOL-Lite and IWQOL-Lite-Clinical Trials (IWQOL-Lite-CT) were developed by Ronette “Ronnie” L. Kolotkin, Ph.D., obesity consultant, owner of Quality of Life Consulting, PLLC, and a consulting professor at Duke University.

IWQOL-Lite©

Validated, 31-item, self-report measure of obesity-specific quality of life available in 87 languages.
Scores: Overall, Physical function, Self-esteem, Sexual life, Public distress, Work
Formats: Print/PDF, Web, App

IWQOL-Lite-Clinical Trials©

20 items optimized for use in the adult patient population typically targeted for obesity clinical trials, both with and without type 2 diabetes.
Scores: Overall, Physical, Physical function, Psychosocial
Formats: Print/PDF, Web, App

Pattern Health is the exclusive authorized distributor of the IWQOL-Lite and the IWQOL-Lite-CT.

About IWQOL

The IWQOL-Lite, developed using rigorous methods, demonstrates strong psychometric properties and is linguistically validated for ≥80 languages. Numerous research studies on persons with obesity, as well as clinical practices, use the IWQOL-Lite to assess patient-reported quality of life. The breadth of knowledge gained since its development in 2001 continues to be of value in clinical research and clinical practice.

An alternative version of the IWQOL-Lite (IWQOL-Lite-Clinical Trials, or IWQOL-Lite-CT) was developed to meet the developmental rigor required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support product labeling. The IWQOL-Lite-CT consists of 20 items optimized for use in the adult patient population typically targeted for obesity clinical trials, both with and without type 2 diabetes. It is anticipated that the final measure will be qualified by the FDA for use in clinical trials of new weight-loss medications to support product labeling claims.

The IWQOL-Lite and the IWQOL-Lite-CT instruments are copyright Duke University.

Citations & Scientific Publications

Kolotkin, R.L., Ervin, C.M., Meincke, H.H., Højbjerre L., Fehnel, S.E. Development of a clinical trials version of the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite questionnaire (IWQOL-Lite Clinical Trials Version): Results from two qualitative studies. Clinical Obesity, 2017 Oct;7(5):290-299. doi: 10.1111/cob.12197.

Kolotkin, R.L., Williams, V.S.L., Ervin, C.M., Williams, N., Meincke, H.H., Qin, S., von Huth Smith, L., Fehnel, S.E. Validation of a new measure of quality of life in obesity trials: Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite Clinical Trials Version. Clinical Obesity, 2019 Jun;9(3):e12310. doi: 10.1111/cob.12310. View supporting tables for this publication.

Kolotkin, RL, Williams, VSL, von Huth Smith, L, et al. Confirmatory psychometric evaluations of the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life–Lite Clinical Trials Version (IWQOL-Lite-CT). Clinical Obesity. 2021;e12477. https://doi.org/10.1111/cob.12477