ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Glob. Women’s Health
Sec. Quality of Life
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2025.1629077
Mental and Physical Health Burden and Quality of Life in Czech Women with Lipedema
Provisionally accepted
- 1Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- 2Lipedema Project, Boston, United States
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Background: Lipedema is a chronic condition characterized by excessive fat deposition in the hips, buttocks, and lower legs, significantly impacting quality of life. In Czechia, limited research exists on the relationship between lipedema symptoms and depressive symptoms, despite the condition's prevalence and its impact on mental health. Aim: This study aims to investigate the relationship between lipedema symptoms and the severity of depressive symptoms among Czech women and assess their quality of life. Methods: We administered an online survey to 43 women with lipedema. Participants completed questionnaires on quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and depressive symptoms severity, evaluated using the PHQ-9 tool. Results:PHQ-9 results showed that 50.9% of participants exhibited moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Quality of life ratings varied, with 27.9% of participants rating their health as poor or very poor. Significant correlations were found between lipedema symptoms, such as shortness of breath, muscle stiffness, and depression severity, indicating a complex relationship between physical symptoms and mental health. Conclusion: These findings highlight the significant mental health burden faced by individuals with lipedema. The association between physical and depressive symptoms emphasizes the need for comprehensive, tailored interventions, especially integrated mental and physical healthcare approaches, aimed at improving overall well-being in this population.
Keywords: Lipedema, Depression, Quality of Life, Well-being, Psychosocial burden
Received: 15 May 2025; Accepted: 14 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kunzová, Lagová and Keith. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Monika Kunzová, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
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