Frontiers in Psychology (Mar 2022)

Visceral Adiposity Index Is a Measure of the Likelihood of Developing Depression Among Adults in the United States

  • Jun Lei,
  • Jun Lei,
  • Yaoyue Luo,
  • Yude Xie,
  • Xiaoju Wang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.772556
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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BackgroundDepression is a serious mental disorder often accompanied by emotional and physiological disorders. Visceral fat index (VAI) is the current standard method in the evaluation of visceral fat deposition. In this study, we explored the association between VAI and depression in the American population using NHANES data.MethodsA total of 2,577 patients were enrolled for this study. Data were collected through structured questionnaires. Subgroup analysis for the relationship between VAI and depression was evaluated using multivariate regression analysis after adjustment for potential confounding factors.ResultsFor every 1 unit increase in VAI, the clinical depression increased by 14% (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04–1.25). High VAI scores (T3) increased the highest risk of developing depression (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.2–4.47). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a strong and stable association between VAI and the development of depression.ConclusionOur study showed that depressive symptoms are associated with a high ratio of visceral adiposity index after controlling confounding factors.

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