title: Depression symptoms and body dissatisfaction association among polycystic ovary syndrome women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  One publication reported that lower body satisfaction and lower education were independent predictors of depression in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women. This study replicates that analysis using different instruments, and adds androgen levels to the model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analysis of questionnaires (Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report, Body Esteem Scale) and serum androgens from a community cohort with (n=94) and without (n=96) PCOS, matched by BMI category. Non-parametric tests, Spearman correlations, and negative binomial regression models were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression symptoms were common (40-60% in lean, overweight and obese BMI categories) in the PCOS cohort, albeit generally of mild severity. The PCOS women had similar depression symptom severity (P>.20) and similar body dissatisfaction (P≥.25) as the regularly cycling women in total and stratified by BMI category. In both the PCOS and non-PCOS cohorts, depression symptom severity was positively correlated with dissatisfaction with physical appearance and physical conditioning (P<.02). Body dissatisfaction (especially perception of physical conditioning) was strongly associated with more severe depression symptoms in non-obese PCOS women (BMI<30, P<.04) before and after controlling for age, testosterone and free testosterone. In contrast, for obese women with PCOS, depression was unrelated to body dissatisfaction after controlling for age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among non-obese PCOS women, their subjective body image was strongly associated with the severity of their depression symptoms. Most of the obese PCOS cohort had low body satisfaction and depression symptoms, therefore individual differences in the body dissatisfaction scores were not helpful in identifying depression symptom severity. Neither testosterone nor free testosterone was associated with depression symptom severity in PCOS women after controlling for body dissatisfaction and age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. lpastore@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Patrie
authors.forename: Wendy L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Parchayi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.forename: Megan J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bray
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology*; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate