Background and Purpose: Although lifestyle interventions have been shown to be effective in losing weight and increasing physical activity in community settings, little is known whether these programs may also ameliorate negative mood states in healthy overweight/obese adults when such programs are delivered in workplace settings. The aim of the study was to determine whether a health partner program may alleviate depressive symptoms among healthy overweight/obese individuals at 1 year. Methods: A secondary data analysis was performed using the Center for Health Discovery and Well Being database at Emory University in the United States. A total of 297 healthy overweight/obese university employees were recruited from the health partner program. Participants worked with health partners to establish an individualized health action plan, which might include changes in diet or exercise, modification of risk-related behaviors (e.g., tobacco use, alcohol use), and stress reduction strategies such as yoga. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II at baseline and one-year follow-up. Results: At baseline, 9.7% of participants had depressive symptoms. At one-year follow-up, these participants had a small-to-moderate improvement in depressive symptoms (Cohen's d = 0.423), and the changes in depressive symptoms were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Implications for Practice: Since overweight/obese individuals are more likely to experience depressive symptoms than normal-weight individuals, early interventions to steer these individuals to better mental health are therefore essential. This study has demonstrated the potential benefits of a health partner program on alleviating depressive symptoms among overweight/obese individuals and this should be integrated into clinical practice.
Keywords: United States; depressive symptoms; lifestyle interventions; obesity/overweight.
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