Interrelatioship Between Diet Quality and Depressive Symptoms in Elderly

Overview

Journal J Nutr Health Aging

Specialties Geriatrics
Nutritional Sciences

Date 2018 Feb 28

PMID 29484352

Citations 6

Authors

A P Gomes

I Oliveira Bierhals

A L Goncalves Soares

N Hellwig

E Tomasi

M C Formoso Assuncao

H Goncalves

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Several observational studies have shown association between diet quality and depression, but few studies have explored the interrelationship between these variables.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the interrelationship between diet quality and depressive symptoms in elderly.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Population based.

Participants: 1,378 elderly in the city of Pelotas, Brazil.

Measurements: The diet quality was assessed by a short food frequency questionnaire and the prevalence of depressive symptoms was estimated by the abbreviated Brazilian version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The association between diet quality and depressive symptoms was assessed using logistic regression.

Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 15.3%. Elderly with low-quality diet were more likely to experience depressive symptoms, and the association was almost twice higher in males than in females (men OR = 3.8, 95% CI 1.4, 10.6; women OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.3). On the other hand, depressive elderly had higher odds of consuming a low-quality diet (OR 2.4, 95% CI: 1.7, 3.8).

Limitations: Self-reported data and cross-sectional design limit our conclusions.

Conclusions: The choice of a low-quality diet was associated to a higher risk of depressive symptoms in elderly, and vice-versa. These results highlight the importance of encouraging the choice of healthy food habits, especially in depressed elderly, in order to promote healthy aging.

Citing Articles

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Huang J, Liang T, Guo C, Zhang C, Xie H J Health Popul Nutr. 2025; 44(1):70.

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Unhealthy behaviors associated with mental health disorders: a systematic comparative review of diet quality, sedentary behavior, and cannabis and tobacco use.

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Piao J, Wang Y, Zhang T, Zhao J, Lv Q, Ruan M Molecules. 2023; 28(19).

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The Relationship between Diet and the Occurrence of Depressive Symptoms in a Community Example with High Rates of Social Deprivation: A Cross-Sectional Study.

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Relationship between diet quality and depression among Iranian older adults in Tehran.

Chegini M, Shirani P, Omidvar N, Eini-Zinab H, Pour-Ebrahim F, Rezazadeh A BMC Geriatr. 2022; 22(1):708.

PMID: 36028815 PMC: 9419352. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03380-1.

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