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Selected Publication:
Rindler, G.
Associations between overweight, obesity and mental health
Doktoratsstudium der Medizinischen Wissenschaft; Humanmedizin; [ Dissertation ] Medizinische Universität Graz; 2024. pp. 174
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- Authors Med Uni Graz:
- Advisor:
- Freidl Wolfgang
- Stolz Erwin
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- Abstract:
- Both overweight and obesity are medical conditions that are very common and considered widespread phenomena that lead to rising concerns among health care professionals. Individuals who have mental illnesses are more likely to be overweight or obese. Obesity is related to a wide array of medical comorbidities, including increased blood pressure levels, diabetes mellitus, stroke, coronary heart disease or congestive heart failure, gallstones, enhanced pregnancy risks, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea syndrome, certain cancer types and fertility disorders. Obesity is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide and considered a global epidemic, demonstrating one of the major health-related issues not only in industrialised countries but also in developing countries. Both obesity and mental illness show increasing prevalence rates and are associated with numerous medical complications in vulnerable populations. However, there is still a lack of knowledge in terms of linking mechanisms between obesity and mental illness. This thesis aims to investigate the associations between mental health and overweight/obesity and to contribute a better insight into the nature of possible long-term associations. Two datasets were analysed, including the Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS) that has been conducted among 15,461 Austrians aged 15 and above in a cross-sectional approach in 2019 and the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to investigate long-term associations using a two-wave cross-lagged panel approach on panel data from 16,184 participants across Europe aged 50+. According to Pearson’s correlation analysis, the results indicate significant correlations between BMI and physical, social, psychological, environmental, and overall QoL, whereas the correlation with the physical domain was strongest, regardless of gender. Accordingly, higher BMI scores are correlated with significantly lower QoL scores and increased depression scores suggesting underlying linking mechanisms. Findings yield significant cross-lagged effects in one direction regarding BMI predicting QoL and depression state, whereas depression state and QoL do not significantly predict BMI. Obese, overweight, and underweight individuals show significantly decreased levels of QoL as well as increased depression scores, compared to people of normal weight over a lag time of 10 years, where obese individuals indicate the strongest effect. However, results do not confirm reciprocal associations in the long term. In conclusion, cross-lagged, one-directional associations between BMI predicting mental health characteristics depression and QoL can be confirmed over a 10-year period. However, this examination does not verify any considerable bi-directional associations in the long-term corresponding to previous examinations on this topic. These findings should be taken as weak evidence of a possible relationship, although this is not proof of causality.