Jamal Rahmani - MSc, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of MedicalSciences, Tehran, Iran
Hamed Kord Varkaneh - MSc, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of MedicalSciences, Tehran, Iran
Ahmad-Reza Dorosty - PhD, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of MedicalSciences, Tehran, Iran

Background: Anxiety is a common psychological disorder that impacts on thequality of life. In recent decades, anxiety has increased, as well as obesityespecially among young people. The aim of this study is to investigate therelationship between general and central obesity with anxiety among Iranianyoung men. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 on 246men who were selected through cluster sampling according to the inclusioncriteria. Anthropometric measurements were performed according to thestandard procedure. Anxiety was assessed by DASS questionnaires withCronbach s coefficient 0.78. In the final analysis, confounding factors werecontrolled and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In thisstudy, 27% of the population had extreme anxiety and 29% had moderateanxiety. In the adjusted model, there was an inverse relationship between anxietyand central obesity (OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07-0.85, P-trend < 0.01), as well astotal body fat. The odds ratio of anxiety based on body mass index groups wasnot significant. Conclusions: Overall central obesity and total body fat have aninverse relationship with anxiety. Prospective studies are required to confirmthese associations in young populations.

Anxiety; Obesity; Total body fat; Abdominal obesity