title: Obesity and onset of depression among U.S. middle-aged and older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper aims to examine the relationship between obesity and onset of depression among U.S. middle-aged and older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data came from 1994 to 2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Study sample consisted of 6514 community-dwelling adults born between 1931 and 1941 who were free of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in 1994. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported height/weight. Body weight status was classified into normal weight (18.5kg/m(2)≤BMI<25kg/m(2)), overweight (25kg/m(2)≤BMI<30kg/m(2)), and obesity (BMI≥30kg/m(2)). A score of ≥3 on the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to define clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Kaplan-Meier estimator and time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model were performed to examine the association between body weight status and onset of clinically relevant depressive symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unhealthy body weight was associated future onset of depression. Compared with their normal weight counterparts, overweight and obese participants were 13% (hazard ratio [HR]=1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.04-1.23) and 9% (HR=1.09, 95% CI=1.01-1.18) more likely to have onset of clinically relevant depressive symptoms during the 16years of follow-up, respectively. The relationship between obesity and depression onset appeared stronger among females and non-Hispanic whites than their male and racial/ethnic minority counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health care providers should be aware of the potential risk for depression among obese older adults.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1010W. Nevada, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. Electronic address: xxiang3@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2013 Huff Hall, 1206S 4th St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. Electronic address: ran5@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: Ruopeng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: An
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Depression; Health and Retirement Study; Obesity; Older adults; Survival analysis