ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to examine whether the presence of depression in overweight or obese adolescents increases the likelihood of cardiometabolic risk factors.

We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the data obtained from overweight or obese, adolescents aged 11-18 years, who were evaluated in our clinic from January 2012 to December 2015. Depression was evaluated by “Children’s Depression Inventory”. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance were defined as cardiometabolic risk factors. The degree of obesity was calculated as the body mass index standard deviation score.

Among 283 adolescents who were included in the study, 75 (26.5%) were overweight, and 208 (73.5%) were obese. The mean age was 14.02±1.67 years and 168 (59.4%) subjects were girls. The mean body mass index standard deviation score was 2.36±0.62, The mean Children’s Depression Inventory score was 12.72±6.5, and 47 (16.6%) of the participants were in depression. Depression was more frequently detected in females than in males (p=0.047). Body mass index standard deviation score was in positive correlation with Children’s Depression Inventory scores (r=0.123, p= 0.038). In univariate analyses, hyperinsulinemia was found to be 2.3 times more frequent in depressed group than in nondepressed group (p=0.026). In logistic regression analysis this relation disappeared.

We showed that severity of depression increased, as the degree of obesity increased, but we could not find any clear relationship between depression and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight or obese adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescents, cardiometabolic risk factors, degree of obesity, depression