Body mass index, waist circumference and waist–hip ratio are associated with depressive symptoms in older Chinese women: results from the Rugao Longevity and Ageing Study (RuLAS)

ABSTRACTObjective: The objective was to determine whether obesity is associated with depressive symptoms among older Chinese.Methods: Data from the cross-sectional Rugao Longevity and Ageing Study were used including anthropometric measurements (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist–hip ratio (WHR)), socio-demographic characteristics, living habits, physical health and cognitive impairment. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between obesity and depressive symptoms.Results: Among 1732 elderly Chinese aged 70–84 years, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 6.7% (5.0%–8.5%) in men and 12.5% (10.4%–14.6%) in women. A negative linear trend was found between depressive symptoms and BMI in women (Pfor trend < 0.05). Women with BMI ≥ 28.0 kg/m2 had lower chances (OR = 0.41 (0.20–0.84), p = 0.01) to have elevated depressive symptoms ...