title: Association of Western and traditional diets with depression and anxiety in women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Key biological factors that influence the development of depression are modified by diet. This study examined the extent to which the high-prevalence mental disorders are related to habitual diet in 1,046 women ages 20-93 years randomly selected from the population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A diet quality score was derived from answers to a food frequency questionnaire, and a factor analysis identified habitual dietary patterns. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to measure psychological symptoms, and a structured clinical interview was used to assess current depressive and anxiety disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustments for age, socioeconomic status, education, and health behaviors, a "traditional" dietary pattern characterized by vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, and whole grains was associated with lower odds for major depression or dysthymia and for anxiety disorders. A "western" diet of processed or fried foods, refined grains, sugary products, and beer was associated with a higher GHQ-12 score. There was also an inverse association between diet quality score and GHQ-12 score that was not confounded by age, socioeconomic status, education, or other health behaviors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate an association between habitual diet quality and the high-prevalence mental disorders, although reverse causality and confounding cannot be ruled out as explanations. Further prospective studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, Geelong 3220, Australia. felice@barwonhealth.org.au
authors.forename: Felice N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Jacka
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pasco
authors.forename: Arnstein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mykletun
authors.forename: Lana J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Allison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.forename: Sharleen Linette
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Geoffrey C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kotowicz
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult