Depressive Symptom Clusters Are Differentially Associated with General and Visceral Obesity

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between obesity and depressive symptoms taking into account different measures for obesity (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) and different depressive symptom clusters. DESIGN: Cross-sectional population-based survey. SETTING: Baseline data of the Nijmegen Biomedical Study. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand two hundred eighty-four persons aged 50 to 70. MEASUREMENTS: Obesity (BMI, WC, and WHR) and depressive symptoms were measured, the latter using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Principal components analysis of the BDI items yielded two factors, one representing a cognitive-affective symptom cluster and the other a somatic-affective symptom cluster. Multiple regression analyses corrected for confounders were conducted for each measure of obesity, with separate models testing the BDI sum score and the depression symptom clusters. RESULTS: BMI was significantly associated with BDI sum score (beta=0.12, P