Objective:
This research aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression and its indicators in obese patients.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October 2023 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Patients included were adult outpatients with a body mass index >25 kg/m2. These outpatients were interviewed using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for detecting depression. Other collected data included patient demographics, anthropometric measurements, medications, and comorbidities.
Results:
In total, 534 patients met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of depression was 184 (34.5%), with a mean depression score of 7.5. A total of 236 (44.2%) had comorbidities, including hypertension (49.2%). A total of 75 (14.0%) had a history of psychiatric conditions, including anxiety (45.3%) and depression (42.7%). Further, 45 (8.4%) had current psychiatric disorders, with depression (60.0%) and anxiety (35.6%) being the most prevalent. Additionally, 350 (65.5%) were classified as non-depressed. Female participants had higher depression scores than male ones (p-value=0.012). Marriage and increased age were associated with a decreased risk of depression, whereas a history of mental illness was linked to a higher risk.
Conclusion:
One-third of obese patients experienced depression. Medical comorbidities, a history of mental illness, female sex, and unmarried status were associated with a higher risk for depression.
Key words: Depression, obesity, prevalence, anxiety, Saudi Arabia
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