The Relationship between Mental Health Indicators and Anthropometric Profile among non-Iranian Students of the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University

Introduction: Obesity is a major health issue, affecting over one billion people globally which leads to various health conditions and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Mental disorders also affect a significant portion of the global population impacting social relationships. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anthropometric measurements and mental health indicators of non-Iranian Students of the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 689 non-Iranian students. The participants underwent assessments for mental health using the GHQ questionnaire, anthropometric measurements using a body analyzer, and the level of their physical activity using the SF-IPAQ questionnaire. Data analysis was done by SPSS software including different statistical tests and correlation analysis. Also, a P-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Based on the results, a correlation between mental health indicators and anthropometric and body composition variables was observed. BMI was positively related to anxiety/insomnia status in the men (r = 0.01, p = 0.03). General health score was negatively linked to SMM (r = -0.12, ρ = 0.002), SLM (r = -0.11, ρ = 0.002), TBW (r = -0.11, ρ = 0.003) and protein (r = -0.11, ρ = 0.002). Conversely, PBF was positively correlated with impaired general health (r = 0.08, ρ = 0.03) and social function status (r = 0.07, ρ = 0.04). Conclusion: The analysis of this data indicated that individuals with abnormal anthropometric measures may be at a higher risk of certain mental health issues. This finding may warrant greater attention from, health policymakers regarding the potential need for increasing mental health service tariffs and health insurance coverage for certain individuals.