Relationships between depression, gender, and unhealthy weight loss practices among overweight or obese college students.
BACKGROUND
Unhealthy weight loss practices are common among female college students. It is unknown if these practices are also most common among women in the subset of overweight or obese college students or if these practices are related to depression. We examined the relationship between gender, depression, and unhealthy weight loss practices among overweight or obese college students.


METHODS
Students (body mass index between 25.0 and 34.9 kg/m(2)) from three Southern California universities (M(age) = 22 years, SD = 4; 70% women) were recruited from May 2011 to May 2012 for participation in a weight loss clinical trial (N = 404). Logistic regressions were performed with baseline data to assess the cross-sectional relationship between self-reported unhealthy weight loss practices and gender and depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression short form.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine percent of participants reported engaging in at least one unhealthy weight loss behavior (e.g., fasting, purging) over the last 30 days, with no differences by gender. Self-report of at least one unhealthy weight loss behavior was associated with report of symptoms of depression (e(B) = 1.14 [confidence interval, CI: 1.08-1.20]), adjusting for potential confounders. Interactions between gender and depression were not significant (e(B) = 1.04 [CI: 0.93-1.16]).


CONCLUSIONS
Among an overweight or obese sample of college students, unhealthy weight loss practices were equally common in both genders, and students with depressive symptomatology were at greatest risk. Obesity interventions targeting overweight or obese college students should educate both men and women about the dangers of unhealthy weight loss practices. In addition, screening for depression can help identify students who would benefit from additional supportive and coping strategies and resources.
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems (CWPHS), Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Atkinson Hall, Dept 0811, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0628, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address: evelyn.p.davila@gmail.com.
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Davila
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems (CWPHS), Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Atkinson Hall, Dept 0811, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0628, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, Hardy Tower 119, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.
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Kolodziejczyk
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems (CWPHS), Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Atkinson Hall, Dept 0811, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0628, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Norman
Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0628, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Calfas
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems (CWPHS), Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Atkinson Hall, Dept 0811, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0628, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Rady Children's Hospital, 3020 Children's Way, San Diego, CA 92123, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 3020 Children's Way, MC 5109, La Jolla , CA 92093, USA.
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Huang
Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0628, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Rock
Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0404, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Griswold
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems (CWPHS), Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Atkinson Hall, Dept 0811, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Medical Genetics Division & Political Science Department, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0521, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Fowler
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems (CWPHS), Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Atkinson Hall, Dept 0811, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0628, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Marshall
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems (CWPHS), Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Atkinson Hall, Dept 0811, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Gupta
Center for Wireless & Population Health Systems (CWPHS), Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Atkinson Hall, Dept 0811, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Dept 0628, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Patrick
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005215:Fasting / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities; D014839:Vomiting / Q000523:psychology*; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult
Depression; Eating disorder; Men; Weight loss; Women; Young adult