An investigation into the state of anxiety, depression, and quality of life in overweight and obese people

Background and objective: Obesity is considered a source of psychological distress. Aim of this study is investigating anxiety, depression, and the quality of life in people with obesity and overweight living in Rasht, North of Iran.Materials and methods: This analytical cross-sectional research was carried out on ۱۳۴ subjects between ۱۸ and ۴۵ years old who had referred, for the first time, to the Nutrition Ward of Subspecialty Clinic Beesat in Rasht in ۲۰۱۷-۱۸ with overweight or obesity. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a questionnaire of health-related quality of life known as the ۳۶-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-۳۶) were used to identify the subjects’ level of depression, anxiety, and quality of life. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS ۲۳.Results and conclusion: Totally, ۴۹ overweight (۳۶.۶%) and ۸۵ obese patients (۶۳.۴%) were investigated. ۴۶ (۳۴.۴%) suffered from moderate to severe anxiety and ۳۸ (۲۸.۴%) had moderate to severe depression. Furthermore, the average score of quality of life was ۶۵.۵۴ ± ۱۷.۳۷. There was a significant difference in terms of anxiety and quality of life between overweight and obese people. Also, out of the ۸ dimensions of quality of life, physical function and general health had a significant negative correlation with BMI. No significant relationship was found between obesity and depression. An increase in BMI leads to a rise in anxiety and a decrease in the quality of life. By considering the role of psychological factors in obesity, mental health interventions can prevent and control this condition and improve people’s quality of life.

کلیدواژه ها:

anxiety ، depression ، Obesity ، overweighting ، Quality of Life