The Association Between Unhealthy Weight Loss Behaviours and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective To analyse the relationship between unhealthy weight loss behaviours and depressive symptoms in adolescents through a cohort study to provide a reference for subsequent research.

METHODS: From June to December 2021, two secondary schools in urban and rural Zhuhai were sampled using a stratified whole-group sampling method, and the Unhealthy Weight Loss Behaviour Questionnaire and the Depression Scale (CES-D) were used to investigate the weight loss behaviour and depressive symptoms of students aged 12 to 18 years. A total of 2834 study participants were included, including 906 (31.97%) male students and 1928 (68.03%) female students. The χ2 test was used to analyse the relationship between general demographic characteristics and depressive symptoms, and a dichotomous logistic regression model was used to analyse the relationship between unhealthy weight-loss behaviour and depressive symptoms.

Results:Of the 2834 study participants, 2307 (81.40) were found to have unhealthy weight loss behaviours and 994 (35.74%) were found to have depressive symptoms. The results of the univariate analysis showed that different gender (χ2=29.94,P<0.01), school type (χ2=3.82,P<0.01), father's parenting style (χ2=96.81,P<0.01), mother's parenting style (χ2=114.20,P<0.01), academic stress (χ2=189.42,P <0.01), and number of friends (χ2=162.81,P<0.01) had different rates of detecting depressive symptoms in adolescents. Dichotomous logistic regression analysis showed that unhealthy weight loss behaviour was a risk factor for the detection of depressive symptoms in adolescents (OR=1.512, p<0.01), and unhealthy weight loss level was positively associated with the detection of depressive symptoms.

Conclusion Unhealthy weight loss behaviours were positively associated with depressive symptoms in Zhuhai adolescents.