Mental Health
The Association Between Body Shape Index and Depression among Young Adults Aged 18-30 Years in the USA Tinsae Abeya Geleta* Tinsae Abeya Geleta International Health Program, Institution of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Yung Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei City, Taiwan
Background: Globally, an estimated 280 million people are affected by depression. In the United States, approximately 21 million adults are currently experiencing depression. Depression is 50% more prevalent among women than men. The recently published articles have indicated that body shape is associated with mental health, with younger populations appearing to be more vulnerable than other age groups. This study aimed to examine the association between body shape index and depression among young adults in the United States and to examine the effect of gender on the association between body shape index and depression.
Methods: This study was conducted in the United States and utilized data from the 2021–2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It included young adults aged 18 to 30 years. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Body Shape Index (ABSI) was calculated. The data was analyzed using Stata version 17, with complete case analysis. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, sensitivity, and subgroup analyses were performed.
Results: The weighted prevalence of depression among young adults was 19.63%. The multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed no significant association between ABSI and depression [AOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 0.75, 2.57]. The sensitivity analysis results were consistent with the main finding [AOR = 1.18, 95% CI 0.93-1.49]. The subgroup analysis results indicated that gender did not significantly modify the association between ABSI and depression.
Conclusion: This study found no statistically significant association between ABSI and depression among young adults in the United States. Future research, longitudinal designs with a larger sample size, is recommended to confirm these results.
