Serious psychological distress and its associations with body mass index: findings from the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the associations of body mass index (BMI) with serious psychological distress (SPD) after taking into consideration the obesity-related comorbidities (ORCs), lifestyle factors, or emotional support.


METHODS
Self-reported data (n = 153,865) from the 2007 BRFSS were analyzed. Psychological distress was assessed by the Kessler-6 Questionnaire; respondents with a Kessler-6 score of > or = 13 were defined as having SPD. The adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using log-binomial regression analyses.


RESULTS
Overall, 3.2 % of U.S. adults had SPD. The prevalence of SPD was significantly higher among men who were underweight or obese, or among women who were underweight, overweight or obese, compared to those with a normal BMI. The APRs for SPD were 1.58 (95 % CI: 1.06-2.35) in adults who were underweight, and were 1.21 (95 % CI: 1.04-1.41), 1.31 (95 % CI: 1.07-1.61), and 1.36 (95 % CI: 1.13-1.63), respectively, in obese adults with BMI of 30-<35 kg/m(2), 35-<40 kg/m(2), and > or =40 kg/m(2) (adults with a normal BMI as the referent).


CONCLUSIONS
An abnormal BMI is associated with an increased likelihood of having SPD independent of multiple ORCs, lifestyle factors, or emotional support.
Zhao
Guixiang
G
Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway N.E., Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. GZhao@cdc.gov
Ford
Earl S
ES
Li
Chaoyang
C
Strine
Tara W
TW
Dhingra
Satvinder
S
Berry
Joyce T
JT
Mokdad
Ali H
AH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult