Obesity and depression:: results from the longitudinal Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study

Objective: To examine the association between body size and depression in a longitudinal setting and to explore the connection between obesity and depression in young adults at the age of 31 years. Design: This study forms part of the longitudinal Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study ( N = 12 058). The follow-up studies were performed at 14 and 31 years. Data were collected by postal inquiry at 14 years and by postal inquiry and clinical examination at 31 years. Subjects: A total of 8451 subjects ( 4029 men and 4422 women) who gave a written informed consent and information on depression by three depression indicators at 31 years. Measurements: Body size at 14 ( body mass index ( BMI) and 31 ( BMI and waist-to-hip ratio ( WHR)) years and depression at 31 years by three different ways: depressive symptoms by the HSCL-25-depression questionnaire ( HSCL-25), the use of antidepressants and self-reported physician-diagnosed depression. Results: Obesity at 14 years associated with depressive symptoms at 31 years; among male subjects using the cutoff point 2.01 in the HSCL-25 ( adjusted odds ratio ( OR) 1.97, 95% CI 1.06-3.68), among female subjects using the cutoff point 1.75 ( adjusted OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.16-2.32). Female subjects who were obese both at baseline and follow-up had depressive symptoms relatively commonly ( adjusted OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.06-1.85 at cutoff point 1.75); a similar association was not found among male subjects. The proportion of those who used antidepressants was 2.17-fold higher among female subjects who had gained weight compared to female subjects who had stayed normal-weighted ( adjusted OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.28-3.68). In the cross-sectional analyses male subjects with abdominal obesity ( WHR >= 85th percentile) had a 1.76-fold risk of depressive symptoms using the cutoff 2.01 in the HSCL-25 ( adjusted OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.08-2.88). Abdominally obese male subjects had a 2.07-fold risk for physician-diagnosed depression ( adjusted OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.23-3.47) and the proportion of those who used antidepressants was 2.63-fold higher among obese male subjects than among male subjects without abdominal obesity ( adjusted OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.33-5.21). Abdominal obesity did not associate with depression in female subjects. Conclusion: Obesity in adolescence may be associated with later depression in young adulthood, abdominal obesity among male subjects may be closely related to concomitant depression, and being overweight/obese both in adolescence and adulthood may be a risk for depression among female subjects.