title: Is the Relationship between Common Mental Disorder and Adiposity Bidirectional? Prospective Analyses of a UK General Population-Based Study.
abstract: The direction of the association between mental health and adiposity is poorly understood. Our objective was to empirically examine this link in a UK study. This is a prospective cohort study of 3 388 people (men) aged ≥ 18 years at study induction who participated in both the UK Health and Lifestyle Survey at baseline (HALS-1, 1984/1985) and the re-survey (HALS-2, 1991/1992). At both survey examinations, body mass index, waist circumference and self-reported common mental disorder (the 30-item General Health Questionnaire, GHQ) were measured. Logistic regression models were used to compute odds ratios (OR) and accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between (1) baseline common mental disorder (QHQ score > 4) and subsequent general and abdominal obesity and (2) baseline general and abdominal obesity and re-survey common mental disorders. After controlling for a range of covariates, participants with common mental disorder at baseline experienced greater odds of subsequently becoming overweight (women, OR: 1.30, 1.03 - 1.64; men, 1.05, 0.81 - 1.38) and obese (women, 1.26, 0.82 - 1.94; men, OR: 2.10, 1.23 - 3.55) than those who were free of common mental disorder. Similarly, having baseline common mental health disorder was also related to a greater risk of developing moderate (1.57, 1.21 - 2.04) and severe (1.48, 1.09 - 2.01) abdominal obesity (women only). Baseline general or abdominal obesity was not associated with the risk of future common mental disorder. These findings of the present study suggest that the direction of association between common mental disorders and adiposity is from common mental disorder to increased future risk of adiposity as opposed to the converse.
authors.affiliation: Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité - Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Centre d'Epidémiologie et Biostatistiques (EPIBIOS), Inserm, Inra, Cnam, Université Paris 5, Université Paris 7, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: Léopold K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Fezeu
authors.forename: G David
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Batty
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Batty
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Catharine R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kivimaki
authors.affiliation: Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité - Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Centre d'Epidémiologie et Biostatistiques (EPIBIOS), Inserm, Inra, Cnam, Université Paris 5, Université Paris 7, Bobigny, France; Département de Santé Publique, Hôpital Avicenne (AP-HP), Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hercberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Ambroise Paré Hospital (AP-HP); University of Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, Boulogne-Billancourt, France; INSERM, UMS011 Population-based cohort unit, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: Sebastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Czernichow
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom