Obesity, food insecurity, and depression among females
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Obesity, food insecurity, and depression among females Manik Ahuja1* , Thiveya Sathiyaseelan2, Rajvi J. Wani3 and Praveen Fernandopulle4
Abstract Background: Nutritional psychiatry is an emerging field of research and it is currently exploring the impact of nutrition and obesity on brain function and mental illness. Prior studies links between obesity, nutrition and depression among women. However, less is known how food insecurity may moderate that relationship. Methods: Data were employed from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES), 2001–2003. Two logistic regression models were Logistic regression was used to determine the association between obesity, gender, food insecurity, and past year Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). We then stratified by gender, and tested the association between obesity and past year MDD, and if food insecurity moderated the association. Results: Obesity was associated with an increased risk for past year Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among females (AOR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.17–1.55) and was not associated among males (AOR = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.86–1.32). Women who reported that reported both obesity and food insecurity reported higher odds of past year MDD episode (AOR = 3.16; 95% CI, 2.36–4.21, than women who did not report food insecurity (AOR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02– 1.38). Conclusion: With rising rates of mental health problems, females should be closely monitored to understand how poor diets, food insecurity, and obesity play a role in mental health outcomes. It is recommended that clinicians and treatment providers consider the patient’s diet and access to nutritious foods when conducting their assessment. Keywords: Food insecurity and mental health, Obesity and depression, Food insecurity and obesity among women, Obesity and mental health disorders
Background Nutritional psychiatry is an emerging field of research and it is currently exploring the impact of nutrition on brain function and mental illness. Nutrition has been vastly overlooked as a contributor to mental health problems [1]. The prevalence of obesity in the adult population is a global health challenge [2], and is associated with adverse outcomes including chronic disease and mortality. Obesity is defined as Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more, and known to highly prevalent * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, 41B Lamb Hall, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
among individuals who consume inexpensive, caloriedense foods and engage in lower levels of physical activity [3–6]. Several studies have found associations between obesity and mental health problems [7–9]. Simon and his colleagues (2006) concluded that obesity is associated with approximately 25% increase in odds of mood and anxiety disorders [10]. A large cross-sectional study conducted by McMartin et al. [11] reported consistent inverse relationships between fruit and vegetable intake and major depressive d
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