The association between overweightobesity and psychological distress : a population based cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the association between mental well-being between obese (classes 1 and 2), over-weight and non-obese population-based individuals Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.

A total of 1019 Saudi nationals aged 18 years participated in the survey.

BMI scores were used to categorize par- ticipants into three groups: Obese, overweighted and non-obese/non-overweight.

Mental well-being was evaluated by using the validated Arabic version of the General Health Questionnaire version 12 (GHQ-12).

Results: We used total GHQ score (Mean=12; SD=5.23) to compare mental well-being between the four BMI class categories.

The overall one-way ANOVA model was statistically significant (F = 7.018, d = 6, P < 0.001).

In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, diabetes and smoking statuses we found that higher psychological distress (as evident by a higher total GHQ score) was associated with higher BMI.

The unstandardized Beta regression coefficient = 2.627; P = 0.034).

Females were more likely to have higher psychological distress than males (unstandardized Beta = 1.466, P = 0.003).

Job status whether being unemployed or ‘civilian’ (civil worker) was significantly associated with higher psychological distress (unstandardized Beta = 1.405, P = 0.041).

Being diabetic has a 1.6 times higher risk of psychological distress (unstandardized Beta = 1.604, P = 0.027).

Conclusion: The study highlights the public health implications of psychological distress amongst indi- viduals with overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia.

Future longitudinal studies should explore the tem- porality of this relationship.