Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age.
BACKGROUND
Studies of diet and depression have focused primarily on individual nutrients.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between dietary patterns and depression using an overall diet approach.


METHODS
Analyses were carried on data from 3486 participants (26.2% women, mean age 55.6 years) from the Whitehall II prospective cohort, in which two dietary patterns were identified: 'whole food' (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish) and 'processed food' (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). Self-reported depression was assessed 5 years later using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression (CES-D) scale.


RESULTS
After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in the highest tertile of the whole food pattern had lower odds of CES-D depression (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.56-0.99) than those in the lowest tertile. In contrast, high consumption of processed food was associated with an increased odds of CES-D depression (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.11-2.23).


CONCLUSIONS
In middle-aged participants, a processed food dietary pattern is a risk factor for CES-D depression 5 years later, whereas a whole food pattern is protective.
Akbaraly
Tasnime N
TN
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK. tasnime.akbaraly@inserm.fr
Brunner
Eric J
EJ
Ferrie
Jane E
JE
Marmot
Michael G
MG
Kivimaki
Mika
M
Singh-Manoux
Archana
A
D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005511:Food Handling; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017747:Seafood / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014675:Vegetables