The relationship between unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and depression: Evidence from NHANES

With increasing recognition of the complex interplay between lifestyle behaviors and mental health, this study aims to explore the relationship between Unhealthy Lifestyle Behaviors (ULB) and depression in a representative sample of the US population. The study proposes ULB as a holistic measure for assessing depression risk.

We analyzed data from 21,854 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 1999 to 2018. ULB's impact on depression was examined via multivariate logistic and linear regression, with nonlinear relationships assessed using weighted restricted cubic splines. Stratified analyses evaluated consistency across different demographics and health conditions.

The cohort's average age was 45.63 ± 0.26 years, with 51.89 % males. A higher depression prevalence was observed in females (p < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, a significant association emerged between higher ULB scores and increased depression risk [OR: 1.232, 95 % CI: 1.106,1.372]. No significant interactions were found in subgroup analyses by gender, age, ethnicity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia (all P for interaction >0.05), indicating a consistent ULB-depression link across groups.

This study highlights ULB's potential as a predictive indicator for depression, emphasizing its importance in mental health evaluations. The findings suggest that incorporating comprehensive lifestyle assessments into mental health screenings could enhance the identification and prevention of depression. Additional research is needed to confirm these initial results and to investigate the causal pathways involved.