ArticleBMC public health2025
Prevalence of anxiety disorder and its association with BMI: an analysis of women's experiences in Bangladesh using BDHS-2022 data.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Anxiety and Depression Traits Are Moderated by a Sex-Dependent Genetic Interaction Between 5-HTTLPR and BDNF.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- Lifestyle habits, gender differences, and their association with sleep and mental health among Syrian medical residents.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Women's empowerment and health: nationwide insights on selected non-communicable conditions in Bangladesh.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Extent of Anxiety Among Married Women in Bangladesh and its Potential Predictors: A Nation-Wide Cross-Sectional Study.Depression and anxiety · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAnxiety disorders are a significant and growing public health concern, impacting individuals' daily lives and professional development. Women exhibit higher rates compared to men. Changes in body mass index (BMI) can affect the mental health of an individual. However, the relationship between BMI and anxiety is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between BMI and anxiety disorder.
methodsBDHS 2022 data were used. Binary logistic regression, restricted cubic spline analysis (RCS), and subgroup analyzes were performed to explore the relationship between BMI and anxiety disorder.
resultsThe prevalence of anxiety disorders among ever-married women was approximately twenty one percent. A non-linear, U-shaped relationship between BMI and anxiety disorder was observed, with the lowest risk at a BMI of 22.78 kilograms per square meter. Obesity, as well as underweight, increased the risk of anxiety among the participants, especially in subgroups of participants who were older adults, less educated, lower wealth status, greater age at marriage, and longer cohabitation. For older women, with the lowest risk at a BMI of 25.6 kilograms per square meter, being slightly overweight might serve as a psychological buffer against anxiety. The highest prevalence rate was in formerly married women as well as in the women in the Rangpur division.
conclusionThis study identified a significant association between BMI and anxiety disorder, revealing a U-shaped relationship where both underweight and obesity were correlated with higher odds of anxiety disorder. Although the results indicate that maintaining a healthy BMI could be associated with a decrease in anxiety levels, the cross-sectional nature of the study prevents establishing a causal relationship. This implies that BMI and anxiety may be correlated, but one does not necessarily cause the other. Future longitudinal studies are needed to explore potential causal mechanisms. The observed association highlights the importance of considering body weight extremes in mental health interventions. These findings underscore the need for integrated public health strategies that address both mental health and nutritional well-being among ever-married women in Bangladesh.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.