U-Shaped Link Detected Between Adolescent BMI and Mental Health
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, May 17, 2024 -- There is a U-shaped association between adolescent body mass index (BMI) and mental health, according to a study published online May 15 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Shanquan Chen, Ph.D., from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and colleagues estimated the association between BMI and mental health and examined changes from 2002 to 2018 in a repeated multicountry cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey in Europe and North America, including a study population of 1,036,869 adolescents (527,585 girls) aged 11 to 15 years.
The researchers identified a U-shaped association between BMI and mental health. Compared with those with healthy weight, adolescents with low body mass, overweight, or obesity had increased psychosomatic symptoms (unstandardized β, 0.14, 0.27, and 0.62, respectively), while fewer symptoms were seen for adolescents with underweight (β, −0.18). Across different years, sex, and grade, the association was observed. Psychosomatic concerns increased significantly in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 compared with 2002 (unstandardized β, 0.19, 0.14, 0.48, and 0.82, respectively). Significantly higher psychosomatic concerns were seen for girls than boys (unstandardized β, 2.27). Psychosomatic concerns increased significantly in middle and high school versus primary school (unstandardized β, 1.15 and 2.12, respectively).
"These insights can inform public health and school programs, emphasizing correcting body image misconceptions, encouraging healthy weight, and creating supportive peer environments," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2024
Read this next
Risk of Suicide, Homicide Both Higher at Night
FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- The risk of suicide and homicide is higher at night than might be expected based on the number of people awake at that time, according to a study published...
Social Media Use Tied to Depression, but Not Sole Cause in Young Adults
FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- Social media use and depression are associated, but social media use is not prospectively related to the course of depressive symptoms, according to a...
Many Patients Have Discontinuation Symptoms After Stopping Antidepressants
THURSDAY, June 6, 2024 -- A considerable proportion of patients have discontinuation symptoms (e.g., dizziness, headache, nausea, insomnia, and irritability) after...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.