Relation between body mass index and depression: a structural equation modeling approach

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Obesity and depression are significant global health concerns associated with numerous comorbidities.
• Existing research presents inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between obesity and depression.
• Both conditions share common health complications, necessitating further investigation into their interplay.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and depression using structural equation modeling (SEM).
• To investigate potential gender-specific differences in the association between BMI and depression.
• To explore the influence of physical activity and stress on BMI and depression, respectively.

Main Methods:

• Utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 1.2.
• Postulated direct relationships between BMI and depression, BMI and physical activity, and depression and stress.
• Conducted gender-stratified analyses to assess the BMI-depression association in males and females separately.

Main Results:

• Higher BMI was associated with more severe depression.
• The association between BMI and depression demonstrated a gender-dependent pattern.
• Increased physical activity was negatively related to BMI, while depression severity showed a complex, non-linear association with weight changes.

Conclusions:

• SEM confirmed a significant association between obesity and depression, with variations observed between genders.
• The study underscores the complexity of the obesity-depression relationship, particularly concerning gender differences.
• SEM proved to be a feasible and valuable technique for modeling the intricate links between obesity and depression.