Different mechanisms underlie post-menarchial increase in depression and weight.
BACKGROUND
Depression and being overweight are correlated health problems in adulthood. Adolescence is a significant period for the onset and increase of depression and obesity, especially among girls. Pubertal development also occurs with concomitant increases in weight. Thus, it is not yet clear whether the association between depression and being overweight can be explained by pubertal development.


OBJECTIVE
We examined the association between depressive mood, body weight, and pubertal status in adolescent girls.


METHODS
The design was cross-sectional. In 962 young adolescent Dutch girls (age range, 11.9-15.9) weight and height measurements were used to calculate height, age, and gender-standardized body weight (zBMI). Questionnaires assessed depressive mood (the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression, CES-D, inventory) and menarcheal status (pre or post).


RESULTS
The correlation between menarcheal status and body weight (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) was not affected by depressive mood, and the correlation between menarcheal status and depressive mood (r = 0.20, p < 0.001) was not affected by body weight. A small correlation between depressive mood and body weight (r = 0.12, p < 0.01) largely disappeared after controlling for menarche.


CONCLUSIONS
Menarcheal status largely explains the association between weight and depression. It is independently associated with both BMI and depression, suggesting that different mechanisms underlie the post-menarcheal increased prevalence of depression and overweight.
Wouters
Eveline J
EJ
Fontys University of Applied Sciences, P.O. Box 347, 5600 AH Eindhoven, The Netherlands. e.wouters@fontys.nl
Larsen
Junilla K
JK
Dubas
Judith S
JS
Geenen
Rinie
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000367:Age Factors; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*
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