Relationship between body mass index and depression in women: A 7-year prospective cohort study. The APNA study

• Published in: European psychiatry Vol. 32; pp. 55 - 60
• Main Authors: Martin-Rodriguez, E, Guillen-Grima, F, Aubá, E, Martí, A, Brugos-Larumbe, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Masson SAS 01.02.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Body Mass Index; Cohort Studies; Depression; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Incidence; Internal Medicine; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - diagnosis; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - psychology; Primary health care; Prospective Studies; Psychiatry; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Spain - epidemiology; Underweight; Body mass index; Obesity; Depression; Primary health care; Underweight
• ISSN: 0924-9338; 1778-3585
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2015.11.003

Abstract Background The association between body mass index (BMI) and depression is complex and controversial. The present study examined the relationship between BMI and new-onset depression during 7 years of follow-up in 20,212 adult women attending Primary Health Care Centres in Navarra, Spain. Methods The Atención Primaria de Navarra (APNA) study is a dynamic prospective cohort study. A total of 20,212 women aged 18–99 years (mean age: 50.7 ± 18.5 years) without depression at baseline were selected from 2004 to 2011. We estimated the incidence of depression. We used the Kaplan-Meier analysis to predict the survival curve. The risk of depression onset according to different measures of BMI at baseline was assessed using Cox regression analyses. Results During the 7 years of follow-up, depression appeared in 8.9% (95% CI 8.5–9.3). The highest rates of depression incidence at follow-up occurred in underweight and obese women (9.8% [95% CI 7.3–12.9] and 10.3% [95% CI 9.5–11.1] respectively). The distribution of depression incidence by weight category was U-shaped. The risk of depression increased over time with an observed Kaplan-Meier estimation of 6.67. After adjusting for age, underweight and obese women at baseline have increased risk of depression onset during the follow-up period compared with normal weight women (HR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.09–2.00 and HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.01–1.29 respectively). Conclusions In this 7-year prospective study in the APNA women population, depression emerged in 8.9%. Being underweight or obese (not overweight) at baseline is significantly associated with future onset of depression.