Key result
Being underweight was significantly associated with a higher risk of depression compared to normal weight in Korean adults (adjusted OR 2.38), whereas overweight and obesity did not show a statistically significant association.
Why the study?
Does body weight status affect the risk of depression in Korean adults?
Cross-Sectional (n=4,026)
Yes
Does body weight status affect the risk of depression in Korean adults?
Odds Ratio: 2.38 (95% CI 1.45–3.88)
Absolute Event Rate: 16.2% vs 5.5%
p-value: p=<0.01
Being underweight is significantly associated with a higher risk of depression in both Korean men and women, while the association with obesity was not statistically significant.
Supports depression screening consideration in underweight Korean adults; hypothesis-generating for causality and broader populations.
Previous studies on the relationship between obesity and depression have produced conflicting results. And only a limited number of studies have been conducted in Asians, and few large-scale nationwide studies have been conducted in Korean populations.We investigated the relationship between obesity and depression in Korean adults using data from a population-based sample from the 2014 Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) by cross-sectional study.In total, 4026 subjects (1692 men, 2334 women) aged 19 to 69 years participated in the 2014 KNHANES. Current depression was defined as a score ≥10 on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Height and weight were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The participants were asked to complete questionnaires about socio-demographic factors and disease comorbidities, and health-related behaviors. The chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between obesity and depression.Depression was diagnosed in 5.7% of the study participants (3.9% of men, 7.0% of women). According to body weight status, there was a significant difference in the prevalence of depression (underweight: 16.2%, normal weight: 5.5%, overweight: 4.3%, obese [BMI ≥30]: 6.9%). Compared with the normal weight group, the underweight group had a higher adjusted odds ratio (OR) for depression (OR = 3.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22, 8.75 in men; OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.12, 3.57 in women). Overweight (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.32, 1.13) and obese (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.17, 2.27) men had lower ORs for depression, but this trend was not significant. Compared with normal weight women, obese women had higher adjusted ORs for depression (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 0.79, 3.88), while overweight women had lower ORs for depression (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.56, 1.45), but these trends were not significant.This study shows differences in the risk of depression depending upon body weight status. Being underweight was correlated with a high risk of developing depression in both men and women, but obesity cannot be ruled out as a risk factor for this condition.
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Hong et al. (2017) conducted a cross-sectional in Depression (n=4,026). Underweight (BMI < 18.5) vs. Normal weight (BMI 18.5-25.0) was evaluated on Current depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10) (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.45-3.88, p=<0.01). Being underweight was significantly associated with a higher risk of depression compared to normal weight in Korean adults (adjusted OR 2.38), whereas overweight and obesity did not show a statistically significant association.
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