Association between lifetime stress and obesity in Canadians

BackgroundObesity has been linked to stress, but there is lack of strong evidence from general populations.MethodsThe analysis was based on data from 112,716 Canadians aged 18 years or more who participated in a national survey conducted in 2007-2008. A questionnaire covered the information on self-perceived lifetime stress, height, and weight. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between chronic stress and obesity.ResultsThe crude prevalence of obesity was 18.1% for men and 16.0% for women. A small proportion (3.7%) of the participants reported being extremely stressed most days in their lives and 19.1% reported being quite a bit stressed, and the proportions of stress were slightly higher in women than in men. Overall, those who reported being extremely stressed (adjusted OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.35) or those who reported being quite a bit stressed (adjusted OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.15) had an increased risk of obesity compared with who were not at all stressed. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.44 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.35) for women who were extremely stressed compared with women who were not at all stressed.ConclusionLifetime stress was associated with an increased risk of obesity especially in women.

► The study included a national representative sample of 112,716 adults. ► 17.0% of Canadian adults were obese. ► 3.7% reported being extremely stressful most days in their life. ► Women with extreme chronic stress had a significantly increased risk of obesity.