title: A longitudinal assessment of alcohol intake and incident depression: the SUN project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Longitudinal studies assessing the long-term association between alcohol intake and depression are scarce. The type of beverage may also be important. Therefore we aimed to prospectively evaluate the influence of alcohol intake on incident depression in a Mediterranean cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed 13,619 university graduates (mean age: 38 years, 42% men) participating in a Spanish prospective epidemiological cohort (the SUN Project), initially free of depression. They were recruited between 1999-2008 and biennially followed-up during 2001-2010. At baseline, a 136-item validated food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess alcohol intake. Wine was the preferred beverage. Participants were classified as incident cases of depression if they reported a new clinical diagnosis of depression by a physician and/or initiated the use of antidepressant drugs. Cox regression and restricted cubic splines analyses were performed over 82,926 person-years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only among women, an U-shaped relationship between total alcohol intake and depression risk was found (P=0.01). Moderate alcohol intake (5-15 g/day) was associated with lower risk (Hazard Ratio: 0.62; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.43-0.89). No association was apparent for higher intakes of alcohol or for any specific type of alcoholic beverage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate alcohol intake might protect against depression among women. Further confirmatory studies are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gea
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martinez-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Estefania
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.forename: Almudena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Villegas
authors.forename: Maira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bes-Rastrollo
authors.forename: Jorge M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nuñez-Cordoba
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sayon-Orea
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Beunza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires