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Clinical Summary

Diet quality not linked to depressive symptoms in adolescence

Takeaway

  • Diet quality, intake of fruit and vegetables and intake of fish showed no association with depressive symptoms in adolescence.
  • Better diet quality during adolescence showed no contribution to the reduced risk for current or future depressive symptoms.

Why this matters

  • Adolescent depression is a major risk factor for depression recurrence later in life and also for anxiety disorders, substance-related disorders, and bipolar disorder.
  • Reviews and meta-analyses of published evidence from cross-sectional and prospective studies have concluded that a healthy diet in adulthood is associated with a reduced risk of depression.

Study design

  • Prospective community-based cohort study of 603 participants with reported depressive symptoms.
  • Participants were assessed using Mediterranean diet score and Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ).
  • Funding: Wellcome Trust and NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Research and Care East of England.

Key results

  • Overall, mean age of the participants was 14.5 years.
  • Negative association between fruit and vegetable intake and MFQ score was seen before adjustment for behavioural covariates, including smoking and alcohol consumption (β, − 0.40; 95% CI, −0.71 to − 0.10), but ceased to exist after adjustments.
  • No cross-sectional associations were found between MDS or fish intake and depressive symptoms
  • No prospective associations were found between MDS, fruit and vegetable intake or fish intake and later MFQ score.

Limitations

  • Risk for bias.
  • Self-reported measures.

References


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