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.
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
Guixiang
G
Zhao
Earl S
ES
Ford
Chaoyang
C
Li
Tara W
TW
Strine
Satvinder
S
Dhingra
Joyce T
JT
Berry
Ali H
AH
Mokdad
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