[Body mass index, body weight perception and common mental disorders among university employees in Rio de Janeiro]

We tested the hypothesis that inadequate self-perception of body weight with or without obesity would be associated with common mental disorders (CMD).

We analyzed cross-sectional data from 4,030 university employees participating in the longitudinal Pró-Saúde Study Phase 1 (1999) in Rio de Janeiro. Participants (22-59 years of age) were invited to fill out a questionnaire that includes an evaluation of common mental disorders by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Body mass index (BMI=kg/m2) was calculated based on measured weight and height, and participants self-classified their own current body weight as highly above ideal, slightly above ideal, ideal, slightly below ideal or highly below ideal.

Among woman 58.3% of those with body mass index lower than 25.0 kg/m2 considered themselves as being above ideal weight; for men, this proportion was 23.5%. Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age, income, leisure-time physical activity, self-reported health problem and body mass index, showed that body weight perception highly above ideal had a strong association with common mental disorders among women (OR=1.84, 95%CI=1.22-2.76). For women but not men, body mass index showed a borderline association with common mental disorders (p-trend=0.05) that did not persist after adjustment for income and self-reported health problem.

Inadequate body weight perception, independent of body mass index, was associated with common mental disorders in women, but not men. One possible explanation for this association may be the socio-cultural pressure placed on women to conform the thinness ideal.