title: The association between polyunsaturated fatty acids and depression among Iranian postgraduate students in Malaysia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of depression is expected to increase over the next 20 years, and many people will have to deal with it. It has been reported that up to 40% of university students experience levels of depression. Several negative consequences are associated with depression symptoms, such as memory impairment, suicide, and substance abuse. Recently, researchers have been studying possible associations between depression and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which may modify depression symptoms. The aim of the present study was to find an association between PUFA levels and depression among Iranian postgraduate students in Malaysia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011 with 402 Iranian postgraduate students who were studying in Malaysia. The participants included 173 (43%) women and 229 (57%) men, and the mean age of the participants was 32.54 ± 6.22 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for several potential confounders including sex, age, BMI, PUFAs, MUFAs, and SFAs, monthly expenses, close friends, living in campus, smoking, education, and marital status in a logistic regression model, an inverse relationship was found between depression symptoms and the dietary intake of PUFAs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found an inverse association between PUFA intake and depression symptoms in Iranian postgraduate students in Malaysia. We, therefore, concluded that long-term intake of PUFAs may modify or prevent depression symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Food Sciences and Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hesarak, Tehran, IR Iran. nutcanada@gmail.com
authors.forename: Teymoor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yary
authors.forename: Sanaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aazami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D004435:Eating; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000208:ethnology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D013334:Students
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated