Depressive symptoms and other correlates of adiposity in young adults

Objectives : Students studying health-related majors in medical universities reportedly experience high stress levels due to the nature of their occupation, which predisposes them to adopt unhealthy dietary habits. This study aimed to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and adiposity in Bulgarian students considering other sociodemographic and contextual factors. Methods : This online cross-sectional study surveyed a sample of 752 students from the two largest medical universities in Bulgaria. Their mean was 22 ± 3.11 years and the majority were females (n = 503, 66.9%). Students self-reported socio-demographic and education-related information, dietary habits using a food frequency questionnaire, and symptoms of depression using the Zung Depression Scale. Associations between these constructs were examined using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results : The obesity rate was 29 (3.9%) and overweight was 107 (14.2%). For depression, the distribution was: mild 230 (30.6%), moderate 168 (22.3%), severe 94 (12.5%). An association was observed between depression and obesity, with OR 2.357 (95% CI = 1.054, 5.271) observed among students from MU-Sofia. Factors determining a positive relationship towards high odds of depression are: female gender, academic stress and financial burden. Inverse relationship can be observed in the same sample - development of depression leads to high risk of overweight, with OR = 1.712 (95% CI = 1.035–2.833). Regarding dietary habits, consumption of eggs, red meat, dairy products and fruits was associated with a trend towards high BMI. Conclusion : These findings highlight the need for integrated university-based strategies addressing mental health and nutrition to prevent obesity and depression during the study.