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

Abstract

Background Depression is one of the prevalent mental disorders that is common in older ages. Evidence suggests that dietary intake status may potentially be associated with depression. However, this association has not been well studied in older adults, and the nature of the association remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between diet quality and depression in free-living older adults living in Tehran city. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 583 older adults (279 men and 304 women) aged 60 to 80 years living in Tehran city, selected by the systematic cluster sampling method. Individuals' dietary intake was determined by two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls, and diet quality was assessed calculating score of Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015). The validated short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-11) was used to assess depression status. A logistic regression model was used to assess the chance of depression across tertiles of HEI-2015 score. Results The point prevalence of depression was 22.5%, which was significantly higher in women (91 (69.5%) women vs. 40 (30.5%) men). A higher percentage of seniors at the higher tertile of HEI score were women, belonged to Fars ethnicity and had a higher score of activity of daily living (ADL). After adjustment for all potential confounders, the trend of depression chance was significantly decreased in those with higher HEI-2015 scores (p-for trend < 0.05). Conclusion Higher quality of diet was associated with a lower possibility of depression in the studied participants. Further studies are required to investigate the possible causal relationship.

Association between healthy eating and depression symptoms among Chinese older adults: A cross-sectional study based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity survey

“…In analyzing the association between 13 specific food groups and the risk of depression symptoms, our results in the older adults are broadly consistent with previous literature. A cross-sectional survey from Iran showed an 82.4 % lower risk of depression symptoms in the third quartile compared to older adults in the first quartile of the HEI (OR = 0.176; 95 % CI: 0.020 to 1.524) after adjusting for all potential confounders, but no statistical significance was observed, possibly related to the small sample size of the study ( Chegini et al, 2022 ). In another study, Wang et al ( Wang et al, 2021 ) analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that after multivariate adjustment, average HEI (OR = 0.848; 95 % CI: 0.846 to 0.849) and optimal HEI (OR = 0.455; 95 % CI: 0.453 to 0.456) were associated with reduced odds of depression symptoms.…”

Comparison of Dutch healthy eating and healthy eating indexes and anthropometry in patients with major depression with health subjects: a case-control study

“…Furthermore, investigations by Saneei et al ( 41 ) assessed the HEI in relation to metabolic syndrome and diabetes risk in the Iranian population, conditions that have been linked to an increased risk of depression ( 42 ). Moreover, Chegini et al examined the relationship between HEI and mental health outcomes among Iranian older adults, suggesting that adherence to a higher HEI was associated with a reduced risk of major depression ( 43 ). Overall, these studies collectively underscore the significance of the Healthy Eating Index as a valuable tool for assessing dietary quality and its impact on various health outcomes, including major depression, in the Iranian population.…”

Association between dietary anthocyanidins intake and depression among US adults: a cross-sectional study (NHANES, 2007–2010 and 2017–2018)

“…Another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial focusing on adolescents who consumed a daily supplement of wild blueberry (containing approximately 253 mg anthocyanidins) found that compared to the placebo group, participants receiving anthocyanidin supplements had significantly reduced self-reported depressive symptoms (P = 0.02, 95%CI: (-6.71,-5.35)] [28]. Previous cross-sectional studies have also demonstrated that correlation between higher diet quality, as indicated by higher scores on the Healthy Eating Index HEI2015), and a lower risk of depression [29][30][31]. Our study further confirms this association [46.09 (0.66) vs. 50.85 (0.47), P<0.0001].…”