Dietary intake of folate, other B vitamins, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in relation to depressive symptoms in Japanese adults.
OBJECTIVE
Although a favorable effect of dietary folate and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on depression is suggested from epidemiologic studies in Western countries, evidence from non-Western populations is lacking. We examined cross-sectional associations between the intake of folate, other B vitamins, and omega-3 PUFAs and depressive symptoms in Japanese adults.


METHODS
Subjects were 309 Japanese men and 208 Japanese women 21-67 y of age. Dietary intake was assessed with a validated, brief, self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined as present when subjects had a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale score > or =16. Adjustment was made for age, body mass index, work place, marital status, occupational physical activity, leisure-time physical activity, current smoking, current alcohol drinking, and job stress score.


RESULTS
The prevalences of depressive symptoms were 36% for men and 37% for women. Folate intake showed a statistically significant, inverse, and linear association with depressive symptoms in men but not in women. The multivariate odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depressive symptoms for men in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of folate intake were 1.00 (reference), 0.78 (0.38-1.63), 0.57 (0.27-1.18), and 0.50 (0.23-1.06), respectively (P for trend = 0.045). No statistically significant linear association was observed for the intake of riboflavin, pyridoxine, cobalamin, total omega-3 PUFAs, alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, or docosahexaenoic acid in either sex.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher dietary intake of folate was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in Japanese men but not women.
Department of Epidemiology and International Health, Research Institute, International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo, Japan. kenmrkm@nih.go.jp <kenmrkm@nih.go.jp>
Kentaro
K
Murakami
Tetsuya
T
Mizoue
Satoshi
S
Sasaki
Masanori
M
Ohta
Masao
M
Sato
Yumi
Y
Matsushita
Norio
N
Mishima
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D005492:Folic Acid