Association Between Depression and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Adolescents with Obesity

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether the presence of depression in adolescents who were overweight or obese increase the likelihood of cardiometabolic risk factors. Method: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the data from adolescents who were overweight or obese, aged 11-18 years, who were evaluated in our clinic from January 2012 to December 2015. Depression was evaluated by “Children’s Depression Inventory”. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance were defined as cardiometabolic risk factors. The degree of obesity was calculated as the body mass index standard deviation score. Results: Among 283 adolescents 75 (26.5%) were overweight, and 208 (73.5%) had obesity, the mean age was 14.02±1.67 years and 168 (59.4%) of the subjects were girls. The body mass index standard deviation score was in median 2.36±0.62, Children’s Depression Inventory score was in median 12.72±6.5, and 47 (16.6%) of the participants were found depressed. Depression frequency was found higher in females than in males (p=0.047). Body mass index standard deviation score had positive correlation with Children’s Depression Inventory scores (r=0.123, p= 0.038). In univariate analysis, in depressed group hyperinsulinemia was found 2.3 times more frequent than in nondepressed group (p=0.026). In logistic regression analysis this relation disappeared. Conclusion: We showed that severity of depression increased, as the degree of obesity increased, but we could not find any clear relationship between depression and cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents who were overweight or obese.