Associations Between Depression and Obesity in Parents and Their Late-Adolescent Offspring: A Community-Based Study
Naomi R Marmorstein1, William G Iacono
1From the Department of Psychology (Marmorstein), Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey; and Department of Psychology (Iacono), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Psychosomatic Medicine
|May 3, 2016
Summary
Parental major depressive disorder (MDD) increases adolescent obesity risk. Maternal obesity increases offspring MDD risk, while paternal obesity surprisingly decreases it, suggesting shared genetic factors.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Psychiatry
- Public Health and Epidemiology
Background:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) and obesity are individually prevalent conditions.
- The familial association between MDD and obesity is not well understood.
- Understanding familial links can inform prevention and intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the familial transmission of major depressive disorder (MDD) and obesity.
- To test if parental MDD predicts adolescent obesity.
- To test if parental obesity predicts adolescent MDD.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Minnesota Twin Family Study (N=7307).
- Assessed parental and 17-year-old offspring for MDD via structured interviews.
- Measured height and weight for obesity diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Parental MDD significantly predicted increased offspring obesity risk (OR=1.74).
- Maternal obesity predicted increased offspring MDD risk (OR=1.32).
- Paternal obesity was unexpectedly associated with decreased offspring MDD risk (OR=0.70).
Conclusions:
- Findings support a shared etiology between MDD and obesity across generations.
- The differential impact of maternal versus paternal obesity on offspring MDD warrants further research.
- Familial factors play a role in the co-occurrence of depression and obesity.
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