Psychological distress and substance use among young adults with comorbid asthma and obesity

This study examined psychosocial distress and substance use in young adults with asthma (A), obesity (O), comorbid asthma and obesity (AO), or neither (controls). Participants: Eight hundred eighty-one young adults were included in the A, O, AO, or control group. Methods: ANCOVA and logistic regression analyses were performed to compare responses to screeners for psychological distress and substance use among the four groups. Results: Levels of depressive symptoms, worry, nonsuicidal self-injury, emotion dysregulation, and chronic pain symptoms differed across groups, with the A and AO groups showing greater psychological distress than the O and control groups. The AO group exhibited the highest levels of cigarette and smokeless tobacco use, while the O group exhibited the least frequent binge drinking behaviors. Conclusions: Individuals with asthma or comorbid asthma and obesity appear to experience the poorest psychosocial functioning and highest use of tobacco products. Potential mechanisms and implications of these relationships are discussed.