Association of Overweight and Obesity with Mental Distress in Iranian Adolescents: The CASPIAN-III Study.
BACKGROUND
Excess weight may be associated with mental distress and this relationship varies according to the socio-cultural background of different populations. This study aims to assess the relationship of overweight and obesity with some psychological disorders in a nationally representative sample of Iranian adolescents.


METHODS
This nationwide study was conducted in 2009-2010 among 5570 students, aged 10-18 years, living in 27 provinces in Iran. Data were collected by using the translated and validated questionnaire of the World Health Organization Global School-based Health Survey.


RESULTS
Data of 5528 students (49.7% girls) were complete for this study. Their mean age was 14.7 (2.4) years. Overall 7.9% of participants were overweight and 8.8% were obese. 58.7% of students had anxiety, without significant association of overweight (odds ratio [OR]: 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68-1.09) and obesity (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.88-1.40) with an anxiety. Nearly 62.6% of students reported to have depression, there was no significant relationship between overweight (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.86-1.43) obesity and (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.79-1.29) with the depression. About 49.4% of students had insomnia, without significant association of overweight (OR: 1.17, 95% CI:, 0.91-1.51) and obesity (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.71-1.17) with the insomnia.


CONCLUSIONS
In Iranian adolescents, excess weight did not increase the risk of psychological distress. This finding might be due to the positive attitude of family and peers to fatness in adolescence.
Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Mohsen
M
Jari
Department of Public Health, Alborz University of Medical, Sciences, Karaj, Iran ; Department of Epidemiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mostafa
M
Qorbani
Department of Adolescents, Youth, and School Health, Bureau of Population, Family, and School Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Pediatrics, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Mohammad Esmaeil
ME
Motlagh
Department of Epidemiology, Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ramin
R
Heshmat
Department of Adolescents, Youth, and School Health, Bureau of Population, Family, and School Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
Gelayol
G
Ardalan
Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Roya
R
Kelishadi
Adolescents; Iran; anxiety; depression; obesity; psychological disorders