Clinical and sociodemographic correlates of body mass index in a large multicenter obsessive-compulsive disorder...

This multicenter study aims to investigate associations between body mass index (BMI) and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in a clinical sample of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Data were analyzed from 947 adults diagnosed with OCD, recruited through the Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. BMI was calculated from self-reported weight and height and categorized according to WHO definitions. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained using standardized instruments. Associations between BMI and sociodemographic/clinical variables were examined using linear regression models.

The mean BMI in the sample was 24.55 kg/m² (SD = 4.65), with 5.5% of participants classified as underweight, 58% as normal weight, 25% as overweight, and 11.5% as obese. In the multivariate linear regression model, higher BMI was significantly associated with older age (β = 0.09, p < 0.001), current psychiatric treatment (β = 1.4, p < 0.001), and binge eating disorder (β = 4.4, p < 0.001). Lower BMI was significantly associated with female sex (β = - 1.6, p < 0.001) and body dysmorphic disorder (β = - 1.2, p = 0.005). No significant associations were found with educational level, OCD severity, comorbid depression, anxiety, bulimia, or anorexia.

Although BMI was unrelated to OCD severity, it was associated with demographic, clinical, and treatment-related variables, underscoring the need for evaluation beyond symptom-based assessment.

III, as it is based on an observational analytic design using a large cross-sectional multicenter sample.