Relationship between obesity and depression in older Australian adults and examination of dietary patterns as influencing factors

This study aims to investigate the association between depression and obesity in older adults in Australia and the influencing effects of dietary patterns. The cross-sectional study design was used for the study. The study was conducted across nine community settings in Gold Coast, Queensland. The study cohort included 301 randomly selected men and women, aged 50–88 years. Depression was measured using the General Health Questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) was assessed according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics criteria, and obesity was classified as a BMI of 30.0 kg/m2. Dietary pattern was measured using a standardized Food Frequency Questionnaire. The associations between anxiety or depression and BMI and the dietary patterns were estimated using multinomial logistic regression models. In all participants, dietary patterns were associated with both depression and obesity. Diets had mediating effects on the association between depression and obesity. Participants who consumed more high-fat meat products and fewer fruits and vegetables had an increased chance of obesity. Participants who were depressed did not have an increased chance of obesity when dietary patterns were adjusted in the multinomial logistic regression model. The results of the study suggest that dietary patterns are related to both depression and obesity and are important mediators in the increasing probability of obesity. The results have implications to inform intervention programmes to target dietary-intake behaviour change so that depression and obesity can be prevented in older adults.