The Gender Differences of Mediating Effect of Body Mass Index Between Perceived Control and Depressive Symptoms in...

Depression impairs workplace productivity. Although obesity is associated with depression, findings differ across populations. Perceived control over stressors is an important psychological factor affecting both depression and weight regulation. This study investigated whether body mass index (BMI) mediates the relationship between perceived control and depressive symptoms, considering gender differences.

A total of 7,067 Korean employees (4,627 male and 2,440 female), aged 19-65, completed self-report measures: the Perceived Stress Scale (control subscale), the CES-D scale for depressive symptoms, and self-reported height and weight, which were used to calculate BMI. Gender-stratified mediation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro in SPSS.

Among male, lower perceived control was significantly associated with higher BMI (B=-0.099, standard error [SE]=0.031, p= 0.001), and higher BMI predicted more severe depressive symptoms (B=0.105, SE=0.035, p=0.003). The indirect effect was significant (B=-0.010, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.021, -0.003]), indicating partial mediation. In female, perceived control was directly associated with depressive symptoms, but BMI did not mediate this relationship (indirect effect: B=-0.004, 95% CI [-0.017, 0.004]).

BMI partially mediated the association between perceived control and depression in male but not in female. Perceived control was negatively associated with both BMI and depressive symptoms in both genders; however, BMI contributed to depressive symptoms only in male. Gender-specific approaches may be warranted in workplace mental health interventions.