TOPLINE:
A higher weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) — a relatively new obesity measure that considers weight and reflects weight-independent central obesity — is associated with a higher likelihood of depression, an analysis of more than 34,000 US adults finds.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers used multivariable logistic regression analysis to explore the relationship between WWI and depression.
- They analyzed data on 34,528 adults (mean age, 47 years; 50% female; 68% non-Hispanic White) who participated in the 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
- WWI was calculated by dividing waist circumference by the square root of body weight. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.
TAKEAWAY:
- The prevalence of depression was 7.6% among the total cohort.
- A higher WWI was associated with a 21% higher likelihood of depression after adjustment for covariates (odds ratio [OR], 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.29).
- Adults in the highest vs lowest WWI quartile had a 51% higher likelihood of depression (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.29-1.76).
- The positive relationship between WWI and depression persisted across subgroups, including age, gender, race, hypertension, and diabetes status.
IN PRACTICE:
"These findings suggest that WWI may serve as a predictor for depression incidence, and managing obesity assessed by WWI could potentially predict the risk of developing depression," the authors write.
SOURCE:
The study, with first author Meng Li, MD, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was published online November 23, 2023, in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
LIMITATIONS:
The cross-sectional design limits the ability to determine causality. Depression was self-reported.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China and Shandong Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Program. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
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