Metabolic syndrome in the association of BMI and trajectory of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly population: a cohort study from China
Authors' conclusion
Underweight was a risk factor for depressive symptoms and high-ascending trajectory of depressive symptoms. Medical professionals should pay attention to the mental status of middle-aged and older adults with underweight and interventions of improving metabolic syndrome could protect mental health.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged over 45, China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study10,136 longitudinal
- Participants
- 13,422 adults
- Exposure
- BMI categories vs healthy weight
- Outcome
- Depressive symptoms and trajectory of depressive symptoms (low-stable vs high-ascending)
Methodological detailscross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, group-based trajectory modeling, logistic regression, mediation analysis
- Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses
- Group-based trajectory modeling
- Logistic regression
- Mediation analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Depressive symptoms (cross-sectional)
Each group vs healthy weightOdds ratio (95% CI)
Underweight
1.20(1.01–1.43)
Overweight
0.87(0.80–0.95)
Obesity
0.83(0.74–0.94)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| High-ascending trajectory of depressive symptoms (longitudinal)Underweightvs Healthy weight | 1.29 (1.04–1.61) | |
| High-ascending trajectory of depressive symptoms (longitudinal)Overweightvs Healthy weight | 0.85 (0.76–0.95) | |
| High-ascending trajectory of depressive symptoms (longitudinal)Obesityvs Healthy weight | 0.85 (0.72–0.99) | |
| 0.512Odds ratio (log scale) |
Mediation by metabolic syndrome
- Proportion of BMI–depressive symptoms association mediated by metabolic syndrome
- 31.87%
- Proportion of BMI–depressive symptom trajectory association mediated by metabolic syndrome
- 50.60%
Original publication
Metabolic syndrome in the association of BMI and trajectory of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly population: a cohort study from China. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 11 July 2025. doi:10.
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