Central or overall obesity: Which one is a better predictor of depressive symptoms in children, adolescents, and youths?

Abstract

Background and purpose Despite the strong effect of central obesity on individuals’ physical health outcomes, there is little evidence underlying the relationship between central obesity and mental disorders such as depression, especially in children, adolescents, and youths of the developing countries. This study explores the relationship between depressive symptoms (DS) with central and overall obesity in a sample of Iranian children, adolescents, and youths. Methods One thousand and fifty-two male participants ranging from 7 to 24 years old underwent standard anthropometry, and filled the DS questionnaire. Results Having controlled the potential confounders (e.g., age, socioeconomic status, pubertal maturation status, and physical activity), we found waist circumference (WC) significantly related to DS in the children (standardized β = 0.14; P < 0.05) and adolescents (standardized β = 0.13; P < 0.05). No significant relationship was observed between WC and DS in the youths (standardized β = 0.09; P = 0.22). In addition, no significant relationship was observed between DS and the percentage of fat in the sampled children (standardized β = 0.085; P = 0.13), adolescents (standardized β = 0.10; P = 0.10), and youths (standardized β = -0.02; P = 0.75). Conclusion Central obesity (but not overall obesity) was a significant predictor of DS in the children and adolescents (7–18 years). However, DS in the youths (19–24 years) were not significantly associated with both the central and overall body obesity indices.