Clinical characteristics and outcomes of children, adolescents and young adults with overweight or obesity and mental health disorders
Authors' conclusion
Health care professionals caring for youth with overweight or obesity should be aware of comorbid mental disorders and regular mental health screening should be considered.
Study context
- Population
- Children, adolescents and young adults (age 6–30 years) with overweight or obesity, 226 centers in Germany and Austria (APV registry)3,969 with mental disorder
- Participants
- 114,248 children
- Exposure
- Youth with overweight/obesity and mental disorders vs those without reported mental disorders
- Outcome
- Clinical characteristics and outcome of youth with overweight or obesity having comorbid mental disorders
Methodological detailsmulticentre, 226 centers in Germany and Austria, Adiposity Patient Registry (APV), regression modeling
- Multicentre
- 226 centers in Germany and Austria
- Adiposity Patient Registry (APV)
- Regression modeling
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Mental health comorbidity
- Mental health comorbidity reported
- 3969 out of 114,248
- ADHD (among those with comorbidity)
- 42.5%
- Anxiety disorders
- 31.3%
- Depression
- 24.3%
- Eating disorders
- 12.9%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Mean BMI-SDSDepression vs No reported mental disorder · higher with depression · regression analysis | Depression mean 2.13 (lower; upper mean 2.09–2.16) · Eating disorders mean 2.22 (lower; upper mean 2.17–2.26) · ADHD mean 1.91 (lower; upper mean 1.89–1.93) · No reported mental disorder mean 2.008 (lower; upper mean 2.005–2.011) | P < 0.001 |
| Mean BMI-SDSEating disorders vs No reported mental disorder · higher with eating disorders · regression analysis | P < 0.001 | |
| Mean BMI-SDSADHD vs No reported mental disorder · lower with ADHD · regression analysis | P < 0.001 | |
| Severe obesityBetween Mental disorder groups and No reported mental disorder | Depression 23.7% · Anxiety disorders 17.8% · Eating disorders 33.3% · ADHD 10.3% · No reported mental disorder 13.5% | P < 0.002 |
- Severe obesity: higher with depression, anxiety and eating disorders; lower with ADHD
Factors associated with mental health comorbidity
- Male sex, OR
- 1.39 (1.27;1.52) (95% CI)
- Older age, OR
- 1.42 (1.25;1.62)
- Extreme obesity, OR
- 1.45 (1.30;1.63)
Dyslipidaemia and abnormal carbohydrate metabolism
- Not different in youth with and without reported mental health comorbidity
BMI-SDS change after lifestyle intervention program · one year
- BMI-SDS change range; similar in youth without and with different mental disorders
- −0.22 and −0.16
Original publication
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of children, adolescents and young adults with overweight or obesity and mental health disorders. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 9 January 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →