Observational studyBMC psychiatry2021
Vitamin D deficiency and depression in obese adults: a comparative observational study.
Observational study in BMC psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Adaptogens on Depression-Related Outcomes: A Systematic Integrative Review and Rationale of Synergism with Physical Activity.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of vitamin D supplementation on the incidence and prognosis of depression: An updated meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Associations Between Concentrations of Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12, and Folate and the Well-Being of Medical Students.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Vitamin D deficiency and depression in obese adults: NHANES 2009-2018.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Vitamin D and exercise in obesity: a neurovascular-muscle axis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Article
- The Role of Vitamin D in the Management of Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Association between dietary patterns and depression symptoms among adults with or without diabetes in Qatar: a population-based study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Association between Vitamin D Levels During Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression: A Narrative Reviews.Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery researchReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAmongst the contributing factors of depression, vitamin D deficiency has increasingly drawn attention in recent years. This paper seeks to examine the association between serum vitamin D level and depression in patients with obesity.
methodsIn this comparative observational study, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were compared between obese individuals with depression (n = 174) and those without depression considering the effect of potential confounders. Participants were selected from males and females aged 18 to 60 years old visiting the outpatient obesity clinic of Rasoul-e Akram hospital, Tehran, Iran. The diagnosis of depressive disorder was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria. Additional clinical and laboratory data were collected from hospital electronic records. Mann-Whitney U test (nonparametric), Student's t-test (parametric), and Chi-squared test were used to analyze the differences between the two groups. To examine age and gender differences in the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and depression, stratified analyses were conducted by age and gender groups.
resultsThe mean 25(OH) D levels were significantly different between depressed and non-depressed groups (20 ± 15 vs. 27 ± 13, P < 0.001). Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency was detected in 78 and 67% of the depressed and non-depressed groups, respectively, which was significantly different (P = 0.03). The associations between depression and the serum 25(OH) D levels were observed regardless of gender and age. The overall average vitamin D levels were not significantly different between total males and females (22 ± 13 vs. 23 ± 14, P = 0.49). The average level of vitamin D was higher in the older age group (40-60 years) compared to younger participants (18-39 years) (26 ± 15 vs. 21 ± 13, P = 0.004).
conclusionThe present study provides additional evidence for the hypothesis that low vitamin D serum concentration is associated with depression in obese adults, and highlights the need for further research to determine whether this association is causal.
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