THE ROLE OF BODY MASS INDEX ON MENTAL HEALTH OF FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN TEHRAN

Nowadays, obesity and overweight due to unhealthy foods and inappropriate
lifestyle in adolescents has a significant effect on the quality of sleep and psychological state in students.
This study aimed to investigate the role of body mass index on the mental health of female high school
students in Tehran in 2019.
Materials & Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in 2019. Based on the inclusion criteria,
270 students were selected randomly. Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire including
demographic information and psychological health (SCL-25). Data were analyzed by SPSS-24 using
descriptive and analytical statistics (ANOVA).
Results: Based on the findings, 60 percent of students had normal weight and 3.3 percent were obese.
In addition, most adolescents had mild problems with most of the criteria for assessing psychopathology.
The highest percentage of adolescents (46.7) had mild problems and the lowest percentage (6.7) had no
problems in the field of phobia. Finally, studies showed that there is a significant relationship between
body mass index and phobia disorder in adolescents.
Conclusion: Obesity can affect the mental health of adolescents such as physical complaints,
depression, anxiety, and paranoid thoughts. It is necessary to take basic measures and plan to improve
the lifestyle and nutritional patterns as well as to improve the mental health of students.