Purpose: To evaluate the association between anxiety/depressive symptoms and obesity among adolescent females.
Design and Methods: Cross sectional, 199 adolescent females (mean age 14.5 years). Trait anxiety was measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and depressive symptoms with the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Obesity was assessed with body mass index Z score (BMI-Z), percent body fat from dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and fat distribution (fat mass upper/lower body). Linear regression was used.
Results: Anxiety and depressive symptoms were associated with percent body fat, but not BMI-Z or fat distribution. A ten-point increase on the STAI and CDI was associated with 1.15 and 1.33 increase in percent body fat, respectively. Analysis by race and age revealed an association between depressive symptoms and percent body fat among whites and younger girls but not blacks or older girls.
Conclusions: Anxiety/depressive symptoms are associated with body composition in adolescent females.