Relationship Between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Depression Among the General Population of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah,...

Depression and obesity are recognized as major global health issues. Depression is described as persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest. Obesity is characterized by excessive fat accumulation, with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m². Both conditions significantly contribute to the number of incidents of disability, chronic illnesses, and reduced life expectancy.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between obesity and depression among adults in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia, and to explore their association with factors such as demographics, BMI, and the presence of chronic or psychiatric illnesses.

This cross-sectional study, conducted between August 2024 and March 2025, used an online survey asking about chronic diseases, prior diagnoses of mental health disorders, medication or supplement use for weight loss, height, weight, and depression severity, assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent samples chi-squared test, analysis of variance (Mann-Whitney U test), and multivariate logistic regression analysis, performed using IBM SPSS Statistics v26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA).

The study involved 386 participants with a mean BMI of 31.29.29 ± 13.27 kg/m²; 46.6% were obese. The overall prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) was 34.5%. MDD was significantly more common among younger individuals (18-25 years), female participants, singles, those with university degrees, and individuals earning less than 4000 SR monthly (p<0.05). It was also more prevalent among participants without prior mental health diagnoses and those not using weight-loss supplements. Although MDD was more common among obese individuals, BMI was not a significant risk factor. Multivariate analysis identified low income and use of weight-loss supplements as significant factors associated with MDD (p<0.05).

Our study did not find a significant link between BMI and depression in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, contrasting with some previous research across Saudi Arabia. These findings may be influenced by socioeconomic factors such as gender, marital status, and education level. Future research should consider larger sample sizes within specific age groups to better understand the various contributors to MDD.