• Khaled K Aldossari, Mamdouh M Shubair, Sameer Al-Ghamdi, Jamaan Al-Zahrani, Mansour AlAjmi, Mastour AlshahraniSaeedSCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia., Majid Alsalamah, Badr F Al-Khateeb, Salwa Bahkali, and Ashraf El-Metwally.
• Family & Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021 May 1; 28 (5): 2783-2788.

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to compare the association between mental well-being between obese (classes 1 and 2), over-weight and non-obese population-based individuals.MethodsA population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. A total of 1019 Saudi nationals aged ≥ 18 years participated in the survey. BMI scores were used to categorize participants into three groups: Obese, overweighted and non-obese/non-overweight. Mental well-being was evaluated by using the validated Arabic version of the General Health Questionnaire version 12 (GHQ-12).ResultsWe used total GHQ score (Mean=12; SD=5.23) to compare mental well-being between the four BMI class categories. The overall one-way ANOVA model was statistically significant (F = 7.018, d = 6, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, diabetes and smoking statuses we found that higher psychological distress (as evident by a higher total GHQ score) was associated with higher BMI. The unstandardized Beta regression coefficient = 2.627; P = 0.034). Females were more likely to have higher psychological distress than males (unstandardized Beta = 1.466, P = 0.003). Job status whether being unemployed or 'civilian' (civil worker) was significantly associated with higher psychological distress (unstandardized Beta = 1.405, P = 0.041). Being diabetic has a 1.6 times higher risk of psychological distress (unstandardized Beta = 1.604, P = 0.027).ConclusionThe study highlights the public health implications of psychological distress amongst individuals with overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia. Future longitudinal studies should explore the temporality of this relationship.© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.

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