Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT1668

Background: The interplay between mental health and overweight has gained significant attention in recent years. Obesity has been associated with psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety and their symptom severity, however the potential causal interplay, i.e., the direction of such association, remains elusive. In this study, we harness the longitudinal data of the COPSAC2010 birth cohort to investigate the potential causal interplay between overweight and mental health at 10 years.

Methods: Children of the COPSAC2010 (n = 700) cohort have been examined longitudinally in regards to anthropometrics and mental health in clinical visits at age 6 and 10. At age 6, mental health was measured with the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and at age 10, in the COPSYCH study, we thoroughly examined neuropsychiatric diagnoses, dimensional psychopathology(including SDQ), and performed cognitive assessments, of the children. We divided children into two groups: overweight at age 10 zBMI >1.04 (n = 110), and non-overweight zBMI ≤ 1.04 (n = 482). We analyzed the relationship between overweight and mental health by means of logistic and linear regression, both cross-sectionally at age 10 and longitudinally.

Results: Cross-sectionally at age 10, we found a trend towards higher prevalence of ADHD combined presentation diagnosis (11% vs 5 %, OR 2.3[1.1;4.8], P = 0.02), a significantly higher load of psychopathological symptoms and problematic behavioral traits in the group of children with overweight. Children with overweight scored around four points lower in the General IQ (Est -4.25[-7.21;-1.30], P = 0.005). Longitudinally, we found a significantly increased OR 1.12 (1.06;1.18): P < 0.001 for overweight at 10 years in relation to each point rise in SDQ total difficulties score at 6 years, independently of 6 years BMI. In contrast we saw no association between overweight at 6 years and the total difficulties score at 10 years, adjusted for total difficulties score at 6 years (P = 0.29).

Conclusion: We found an association between mental health and overweight in children at 10 years: i)a higher risk of ADHD combined presentation, ii)higher total problem scores in psychopathology questionnaires and, iii) less efficient cognitive functioning. Results from our prospective data suggested that behavioral problems at 6 years precedes overweight at 10 years. The results from this study should be considered when a child with adiposity is examined, and the treatment is planned. A perspective for future recommendation could be a routine neurocognitive and psychological assessment in overweight/obese children, before planning and initiation of a treatment plan.