Association between metabolic syndrome and self-perceived depression in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract Background The global prevalence of depression among adults is increasing, significantly impacting health, daily functioning, and productivity. Epidemiological studies have established a strong correlation between depression and Metabolic Syndrome. However, the specifics of this relationship have not been thoroughly explored in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a relatively young nation. This cross-sectional study examines the association between self-perceived depression and metabolic syndrome among Emirati adults. Methods Out of 14,027 participants who consented, a sub-sample of 5,223 was included in the final analysis for depression after omitting missing values. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) to measure for depression and a cluster of metabolic syndrome (MetS) variables. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were applied to explore the association between the total PHQ-8 score and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), adjusting for age and gender. Results Depression prevalence in males 14.4% compared to females of 27.8%. Median age of males, 28 years (IQR: 23-35) compared to females, 23 years (IQR: 20-32). The Wilcoxon rank sum test yielded p-value <0.001. Logistic regression analysis, using binarized PHQ-8 scores as the dependent variable, revealed that being male (OR = 0.469, 95% CI: 0.379, 0.580, p < 0.001) and older age (OR = 0.965, 95% CI: 0.955, 0.976, p < 0.001) were associated with lower odds of higher PHQ-8 scores. Conversely, higher BMI (OR = 1.017, 95% CI: 1.003, 1.031, p = 0.015) and elevated triglyceride levels (OR = 1.001, 95% CI: 1.000, 1.002, p = 0.004) were linked to increased PHQ-8 scores. Conclusions reporting depression decreases with increasing age. There is a significant variation in reporting depression across gender. Reporting depression is associated with increased BMI and triglycerides levels. No significant associations were found between self-reported depression and systolic blood pressure or HbA1c levels. Key messages • Understanding the association between metabolic syndrome and depression may help in its prevention and treatment. • The presented findings are unique to geographical area and may help in policy making and health promotion.