This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Depression increases risk for obesity, poor nutrition in low-income populations
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Among urban residents receiving food assistance, depression appears to affect dietary quality and BMI, according to research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The results from a cross-sectional analysis of adults living in mainly low-income black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh characterized as “food deserts” suggest mental health interventions could offer a range of benefits for the population.
“This group is at particularly high risk of obesity and poor nutrition, and the overall sample [descriptive statistics] bear this out,” Karen R. Flórez, DrPH, associate social scientist, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif., said in a news release. “Thus, the finding that depression is associated with even higher risk within this already high-risk group suggests a potential avenue for intervention is a focus on mental health, especially depressive symptomatology.”
Karen R. Flórez
Flórez and colleagues examined data from 639 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants, self-identified as the household’s primary food shopper, from the 5-year Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research on Eating, Shopping and Health (PHRESH) study.
The investigators calculated dietary quality based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Eating Index-2005 and obtained BMI through objective measures. A trained interviewer assessed depressive symptomatology through the Patient Health Questionnaire-2.
Multivariate ordinary least-square regression analyses were performed to predict BMI and dietary quality based on depressive symptomatology, with consideration for sociodemographic factors and food insecurity. Descriptive statistics were reported in means and percentages.
Depression was a strong predictor for both dietary quality and BMI; higher depressive symptomatology scores were linked to lower dietary quality scores (beta = – 1.26, P < .0001) and higher BMI (beta = 63, P < .0031).
Positive associations were seen between age (beta = .09, P < .01) and dietary quality, along with college education or higher (beta = 3.57, P = .01), with adjustments for other factors. The only demographic factors significantly associated with BMI were sex and having a child in the household; being male was linked with lower BMI (beta = – 2.65; P < .001) and a child in the house with higher BMI (beta = 2.01; P < .05).
“The association between depressive symptomology, elevated BMI, and lower dietary quality among low-income, primarily African American residents living in a food desert suggests the potential for mental health interventions to have broader benefits in this population,” Flórez said. “However, the directionality of this association is unclear and improving diet and reducing weight may also improve mental health symptoms. Further longitudinal studies should assess these possibilities.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts