title: Obesity and depression in US women: results from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey.
abstract: Research is needed to better elucidate the relationship between obesity and depression, which has been most consistently demonstrated for women, but not for men. We examined exclusively a population-based sample of US women who participated in the 2005 or 2006 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. Current depression was defined as having a score of > or =10 (a conventional threshold for moderate symptoms of depression) or meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria for major depression on the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Weight and height were measured and BMI was calculated. Waist circumference, a clinical measure of abdominal obesity, was also measured. BMI was positively associated with the probability of moderate/severe depressive symptoms (r = 0.49, P = 0.03) and major depression (r = 0.72, P < 0.0001). The probability curves increased progressively, beginning at BMI of 30. Degree of obesity was an independent risk factor for depression even within the obese population, and women in obesity class 3 (BMI > or =40) were at particular risk (odds ratio (OR) = 4.91, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-20.57), compared to those in obesity class 1 (BMI 30 to <35). Abdominal obesity was positively associated with depressive symptoms, but not major depression, independent of general obesity (BMI). In addition to severe obesity, compromised physical health status, young or middle-aged adulthood, low income, and relatively high education were also independently associated with greater odds of depressive symptoms among obese women. These characteristics may identify specific at-risk subgroups of obese women in which hypothesized causal pathways and effective preventive and therapeutic interventions can be profitably investigated.
authors: Department of Health Services Research, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA. maj@pamfri.org
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Ma
authors: Lan
authors: L
authors: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055105:Waist Circumference; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult