Association between skeletal muscle mass to visceral fat area ratio and depression: A cross-sectional study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Background: Skeletal muscle mass to visceral fat area ratio (SVR) has emerged as a key indicator for evaluating sarcopenic obesity (SO). The study aimed to elucidate the association between SVR and depression among US adults.

Methods: Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018, this cross-sectional study employed weighted multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic splines (RCS) to explore the association between SVR and depression. Subgroup and interaction analyses were also performed.

Results: The analysis encompassed 7,262 US adults. In the fully adjusted model, a significant negative association between SVR and depression was observed (OR = 0.35, 95%CI: 0.14-0.87). Additionally, SVR was significantly negatively correlated with mild (OR = 0.53, 95 % CI: 0.30-0.96) and severe depression (OR = 0.19, 95 % CI: 0.05-0.84). When SVR was stratified into quartile (Q1-Q4), individuals in the highest quartile exhibited a lower likelihood of depression compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR = 0.65, 95 % CI: 0.42-0.99). Additionally, the third quartile of SVR was significantly negatively associated with mild depression (OR = 0.72, 95 % CI: 0.53-0.98). No significant non-linear dose-response relationship between SVR and depression prevalence was detected (P-nonlinear = 0.3387). The association remained significant in several subgroup analyses. However, the interaction test revealed that none of the stratified variables were significant (all P for interaction > 0.05).

Conclusion: The study was pioneering in establishing a negative association between SVR and depression within the US population.