Evidence of bi-directional associations between depressive symptoms and body mass among older adults

Emery, Charles F.Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA (author)

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of AmericaAdvance Access publication March 7, 2019
OBJECTIVES: Body fat, measured with body mass index (BMI), and obesity are associated with depressive symptoms. Among younger adults there is stronger evidence of obesity leading to depressive symptoms than of depressive symptoms leading to obesity, but the temporal relationship is unknown among older adults. This study utilized dual-change-score models (DCSMs) to determine the directional relationship between body mass and depressive symptoms among older adults.METHOD: Participants (n=1743) from the Swedish Twin Registry (baseline age range 50-96 years) completed at least one assessment of BMI (nurse measurement of height and weight) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CESD). More than half the sample completed three or more assessments, scheduled at intervals of 2-4 years. DCSMs modeled the relationship of BMI and CESD across age, both independently and as part of bivariate relationships.RESULTS: Depressive symptoms contributed to subsequent changes in BMI after age 70, while BMI contributed to subsequent changes in depressive symptoms after age 82. Thus, there is a reciprocal relationship that may change with age. The effect was more pronounced for women.DISCUSSION: The association of BMI and depressive symptoms is bi-directional among older adults, and it appears to be affected by both age and sex.

Finkel, DeborahJönköping University,HHJ, Institutet för gerontologi,HHJ. ARN-J (Aging Research Network - Jönköping),Department of Psychology, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, USA ; Institute of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, Sweden(Swepub:hj)findeb (author)
Gatz, MargaretDepartment of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA ; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden (author)
Dahl Aslan, Anna K.,1975-Karolinska Institutet,Jönköping University,HHJ, Institutet för gerontologi,HHJ. ARN-J (Aging Research Network - Jönköping),Institute of Gerontology, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, Sweden ; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden(Swepub:hj)daan (author)
Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, USAHHJ, Institutet för gerontologi (creator_code:org_t)

In:The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences: Oxford University Press75:8, s. 1689-16981079-50141758-5368

By the author/editor: Emery, Charles F ...; Finkel, Deborah; Gatz, Margaret; Dahl Aslan, Anna ...

About the subject

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES: MEDICAL AND HEAL ...; and Other Medical an ...; and Gerontology spec ...

By the university: University of Skövde; Jönköping University; Karolinska Institutet

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