Association between anxiety and obesity: A study of a young.adult Nigerian population

Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, PMB 7267 Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

Address for correspondence: Dr. Chukwunonso ECC Ejike Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, PMB 7267 Umuahia, Abia State Nigeria nonsoejikeecc@yahoo.com

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice

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Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: The relationship between anxiety and obesity is still debatable and seems to vary between cultures. The subject has been scarcely investigated in Nigeria, hence this study. Materials and Methods: A total of 1584 young‑adult Nigerians (56.4% males) of mean age 21.8 ± 2.2 years were studied. Anxiety was assessed using the Beck’s Anxiety Index (BAI), while obesity was determined using the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and body mass index (BMI) methods. Standard protocols were followed for all assessments and measurements. Appropriate descriptive statistics were carried out, while regression and correlation analyses (for continuous variables) and the Chi square tests (for categorical variables) were used to assess the relationship between anxiety and obesity. Results: The degree of adiposity of the subjects (males and females alike) classified by %BF standards did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect the proportion of the population with any degree of anxiety. The proportion of population with high anxiety (for both sexes) was similar (P > 0.05) irrespective of their BMI status. All the obese (BMI‑wise only) males had low anxiety, while the proportion of thin females (in the low anxiety group) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of their normal weight counterparts. There was neither a significant correlation nor a significant association (P > 0.05) between the BAI scores and the studied measures of adiposity in both male and female subjects. Conclusion: The low prevalence of both anxiety and obesity in the studied population may explain the observed lack of association between the studied variables. These findings do not support the “jolly fat” hypothesis.

Keywords

Adiposity

anxiety

association

obesity

young-adult Nigerians

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Conflict of Interest

None declared

References

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[1] Lykouras L, Michopoulos J, . Anxiety disorders and obesity. Psychiatrike. 2011;22:307-13.
[Google Scholar]

[2] Zhang Z. Y., Wang M. W., . Obesity, a health burden of global nature. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2012;33:145-7.
[Google Scholar]

[3] Hillman J. B., Dorn L. D., Huang B, . Association of anxiety and depressive symptoms and adiposity among adolescent females using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2010;49:671-7.
[Google Scholar]

[4] Crisp A. H., McGuiness B, . Jolly fat: Relation between obesity and psychoneurosis in general population. BMJ. 1976;1:7-9.
[Google Scholar]

[5] Kivimaki M, Lawlor D. A., Singh-Manoux A, Batty G. D., Ferrie J. E., Shipley M. J., et al . Common mental disorder and obesity: Insight from four repeat measures over 19 years: Prospective Whitehall II cohort study. BMJ. 2009;339:b3765.
[Google Scholar]

[6] Barry D, Pietrzak R. H., Petry N. M., . Gender differences in associations between body mass index and DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Ann Epidemiol. 2008;18:458-66.
[Google Scholar]

[7] Lamertz C. M., Jacobi C, Yassouridis A, Arnold K, Henkel A. W., . Are obese adolescents and young adults at higher risk for mental disorders? A community survey. Obes Res. 2002;10:1152-60.
[Google Scholar]

[8] Tanofsky-Kraff M, Cohen M. L., Yanovski S. Z., Cox C, Theim K. R., Keil M, et al . A prospective study of psychological predictors of body fat gain among children at high risk for adult obesity. Pediatrics. 2006;117:1203-9.
[Google Scholar]

[9] Sunwoo Y. K., Bae J. N., Hahm B. J., Lee D. W., Park J. I., Cho S. J., et al . Relationships of mental disorders and weight status in the Korean adult population. J Korean Med Sci. 2011;26:108-15.
[Google Scholar]

[10] Amoran O, Ogunsemi O, Lasebikan V, . Assessment of mental disorders using the patient health questionnaire as a general screening tool in western Nigeria: A community-based study. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2012;3:6-11.
[Google Scholar]

[11] Olatunbosun S. T., Kaufman J. S., Bella A. F., . Prevalence of overweight and obesity in urban adult Nigerians. Obes Rev. 2011;12:233-41.
[Google Scholar]

[12] Wahab K. W., Sani M. U., Yusuf B. O., Gbadamosi M, Gbadamosi A, Yandutse I, . Prevalence and determinants of obesity: A cross-sectional study of an adult Northern Nigerian population. Int Arch Med. 2011;4:10.
[Google Scholar]

[13] Ejike C. E., . Lipid accumulation product and waist-to-height ratio are predictors of the metabolic syndrome in a Nigerian male geriatric population. J Rural Trop Public Health. 2011;10:101-5.
[Google Scholar]

[14] Ijeh I. I., Okorie U, Ejike C. E., . Obesity, metabolic syndrome and BMI-metabolic-risk sub-phenotypes: A study of an adult Nigerian population. J Med Med Sci. 2010;1:254-60.
[Google Scholar]

[15] Beck A. T., Epstein N, Brown G, Steer R. A., . An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric properties. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1988;56:893-7.
[Google Scholar]

[16] World Health Organization (WHO) , . Obesity: Preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation Technical Report Series No 894 Geneva: WHO; 2000.
[Google Scholar]

[17] Zhu S, Wang Z, Shen W, Heymsfield S. B., Heshka S, . Percentage body fat ranges associated with metabolic syndrome risk: Results based on the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78:228-35.
[Google Scholar]

[18] Andreyeva T, Puhl R. M., Brownell K. D., . Changes in perceived weight discrimination among Americans, 1995-1996 through 2004-2006. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16:1129-34.
[Google Scholar]

[19] Schwartz D. J., Karatinos G, . For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, institution of CPAP therapy is associated with an amelioration of symptoms of depression which is sustained long term. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007;3:631-5.
[Google Scholar]

[20] Kumari M, Chandola T, Brunner E, Kivimaki M, . A nonlinear relationship of generalized and central obesity with diurnal cortisol secretion in the Whitehall II study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010;95:4415-23.
[Google Scholar]

[21] Howren M. B., Lamkin D. M., Suls J, . Associations of depression with C-reactive protein, IL-1, and IL-6: A meta-analysis. Psychosom Med. 2009;71:171-86.
[Google Scholar]

[22] Rimer J, Dwan K, Lawlor D. A., Greig C. A., McMurdo M, Morley W, Mead G. E., . Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev issue 07. Art. No.: CD004366
[Google Scholar]

[23] Dunn A. L., Trivedi M. H., Kampert J. B., Clark C. G., Chambliss H. O., . Exercise treatment for depression: Efficacy and dose response. Am J Prev Med. 2005;28:1-8.
[Google Scholar]

[24] Jorm A. F., Christensen H, Griffiths K. M., Rodgers B, . Effectiveness of complementary and self-help treatments for depression. Med J Aust. 2002;176:S84-96.
[Google Scholar]

[25] Ejike C. E., Ijeh I. I., . Obesity in young-adult Nigerians: Variations in prevalence determined by anthropometry and by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and the development of %body fat prediction equations. Int Arch Med. 2012;5:22.
[Google Scholar]

[26] Kivimäki M, Batty D. G., Singh-Manoux A, Nabi H, Sabia S, Tabak A. G., et al . Association between common mental disorder and obesity over the adult life course. Br J Psychiatry. 2009;195:149-55.
[Google Scholar]

[27] World Health Organization , . The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva: WHO; 1992.
[Google Scholar]

[28] Smit J, van den Berg C. E., Bekker L. G., Seedat S, Stein D, . Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of a mental health battery in an African setting. Afr Health Sci. 2006;6:215-22.
[Google Scholar]

[29] Muntingh A. D., van der Feltz-Cornelis C. M., van Marwijk H. W., Spinhoven P, Penninx B. W., van Balkom A. J., . Is the Beck Anxiety Inventory a good tool to assess the severity of anxiety? A primary care study in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) BMC Fam Pract. 2011;12:66.
[Google Scholar]