J Korean Med Sci.  2015 Jun;30(6):793-801. 10.3346/jkms.2015.30.6.793.

A U-shaped Association between Body Mass Index and Psychological Distress on the Multiphasic Personality Inventory: Retrospective Cross-sectional Analysis of 19-year-old Men in Korea

• Kim T
• Kim JJ
• Kim MY
• Kim SK
• Roh S
• Seo JS

• KMID: 2160610
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2015.30.6.793

Abstract

Objective
personality tests, such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), might be more sensitive to reflect subclinical personality and be more state-dependent in an individual's lifetime, so they are good scales to predict the psychological distress regarding certain states. The aim of this study was to identify the specific pattern between body mass index (BMI) and psychological distress using the objective personality test. For this study, we investigated BMI and the Korean Military Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MPI). A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 19-yr-old examinees who were admitted to the Military Manpower Administration in Korea from February 2007 to January 2010. Of 1,088,107 examinees, we enrolled 771,408 subjects who were psychologically apparent healthy possible-military-service groups. Afterwards, we reviewed and analyzed directly measured BMI and MPI results. In terms of the validity scales, the faking-good subscale showed an inverted U-shaped association, and faking-bad and infrequency subscales showed a U-shaped association with BMI groups. In terms of the neurosis scales, all clinical subscales (anxiety, depression, somatization, and personality disorder) also showed a U-shaped association with BMI groups. For the psychopath scales, the schizophrenia subscale showed a U-shaped association, and the paranoia subscale showed a near-positive correlation with BMI. In conclusion, a specific U-shaped pattern was observed between BMI and the MPI in 19-yr-old men in Korea. Underweight and obesity are related to psychological distress, so supportive advice and education are needed to them.

Keyword

Body Mass Index; MMPI; U-shaped Association; Psychological Distress

MeSH Terms

Adult
*Body Mass Index
Causality
Comorbidity
Computer Simulation
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Male
Men's Health
Models, Biological
Models, Psychological
Multiphasic Screening/methods
Obesity/*epidemiology/psychology
Personality Inventory/*statistics & numerical data
Prevalence
Reproducibility of Results
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Risk Factors
Sensitivity and Specificity
Stress, Psychological/diagnosis/*epidemiology/*psychology
Thinness/*epidemiology/psychology
Young Adult

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Means of the Korean military multiphasic personality inventory scales by BMI groups. (A) is validity scale. (B) and (C) are neurosis scale. (D) is psychopath scale. Underweight group BMI ranges (1-4) are <15.5, 15.5-16.4, 16.5-17.4, and 17.5-18.4. N, normal; OW, overweight; FG, faking good; FB, faking bad; INF, infrequency; AX, anxiety; DEP, depression; SOM, somatization; PD, personality disorder; SCZ, schizophrenia; PA, paranoia.

• 

  Fig. 2 LOWESS (locally weighted scatterplot smoothing) on validity scale. Each (A-C) is faking-good, faking-bad and infrequency subscale. BMI, body mass index. 1 hollow circle means 1 subject. There are 771,408 hollow circles in each graph.

• 

  Fig. 3 LOWESS (locally weighted scatterplot smoothing) on neurosis scale. Each (A-D) is anxiety, depression, somatization and personality disorder subscale. BMI, body mass index. 1 hollow circle means 1 subject. There are 771,408 hollow circles in each graph.

• 

  Fig. 4 LOWESS (locally weighted scatterplot smoothing) on psychopath scale. Each (A) and (B) is schizophrenia and paranoia subscale. BMI, body mass index. 1 hollow circle means 1 subject. There are 771,408 hollow circles in each graph.

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