Depression mediates the relationship between alexithymia and obesity in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966)

Ramzi NH 1 , Auvinen J 2 , Veijola J 3 , Miettunen J 4 , Ala-Mursula L 5 , Sebert S 5 Show all authors , Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi S 2 , Svento R 6 , Jokelainen J 2 , Drenos F 7 , Dovey TM 7 , Järvelin MR 8 , Blakemore AIF 9

Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom; Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: nurulhanis@imu.edu.my
  • 2 Research Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Health Care and Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
  • 3 Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • 4 Research Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • 5 Research Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • 6 Department of Economics, Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • 7 Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, United Kingdom
  • 8 Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, United Kingdom; Research Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Health Care and Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, MRC-PHE Centre for Environment & Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
  • 9 Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom; Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, United Kingdom
J Affect Disord, 2023 Jun 15;331:1-7.
PMID: 36933669 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.026

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The fact that a complex relationship exists between alexithymia and body mass index (BMI) is well established, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we explore the relationship between alexithymia and depressive symptoms in relation to adiposity measures, including the direct and indirect effect of alexithymia and depressive symptoms on obesity over a 15-year time-period, in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966).

METHODS: The study included individuals from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966) who had available data for adiposity measures (body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio), alexithymia (measured by the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: TAS-20), depressive symptoms (measured by the 13-item depression subscale of Hopkins Symptom Checklist: HSCL-13) at age of 31 years (n = 4773) and 46 years (n = 4431). Pearson's (r) correlation, and multiple linear regression were used to investigate the relationships between alexithymia, depressive symptoms, and adiposity measures. The potential mediating role of depressive symptoms was examined via Hayes' procedure (PROCESS).

RESULTS: Positive correlations were confirmed between adiposity measures (BMI and WHR) and the TAS-20 score (and its subscale), but not between obesity and HSCL-13 score. The strongest correlation was between the DIF (difficulty identifying feelings) subscale of the TAS-20 and HSCL-13 at both time points (31 y: r(3013) = 0.41, p 

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