Depression and self-esteem problems as a function of body mass index

Introduction: obesity is an increasingly prevalent condition in pediatric populations. Recent studies indicate that obesity is not only associated with organic comorbidities, but also with psychological disorders that may go unnoticed, significantly affecting quality of life.

Materials and Methods: a cross-sectional descriptive observational study was conducted including 60 patients aged 7 to 14 years attending the Pediatric Emergency Department. Patients with overweight/obesity were compared with those in the normal-weight group. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of developing psychological conditions such as depression or low self-esteem in childhood was analyzed.

Results: of the 60 patients, 35 belonged to the normal-weight group and 25 to the overweight/obesity group. On the CDI scale, depression was identified in 2 patients (5%) in the normal-weight group compared to 11 patients (44%) in the overweight/obesity group (OR 12.96, CI 2.53–66.2). On the Rosenberg scale, self-esteem problems were detected in 22 patients (63%) in the normal-weight group compared to 22 patients (88%) in the overweight/obesity group (OR 4.33, CI 1.08–17.35). Regarding physical activity, 95% of normal-weight patients engaged in exercise compared to 80% of those with overweight/obesity (OR 0.24, CI 0.043–1.36).
A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with self-esteem problems, showing that physical activity acted as a protective factor (OR 0.184, CI 0.04–0.75).

Conclusion: overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk of depression and self-esteem problems in the pediatric population aged 7 to 14 years. Physical activity is associated with a reduction in depression and in the risk of developing self-esteem problems.