Frequent consumption of vegetables predicts lower risk of depression in older Taiwanese – results of a prospective population-based study

Bibliographic Data

ID15097350
AuthorsAlan C Tsai (0000-0002-0028-7852, Asia University, corresponding author), Tsui-Lan Chang, Tsui‐Lan Chang, Shu-Hwang Chi (Ministry of Health and Welfare)
Year2012
Volume15
Issue6
Pages1087-1092
Publication date2012-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980011002977
PMID22176686
OpenAlexW2172067916
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited32

Objective The study evaluated the association between consumption frequencies of the major food categories and the risk of new depression four years later in older Taiwanese. Design A prospective cohort study with multistage random sampling. Logistic regression analysis evaluated the significance of the longitudinal associations of intake frequencies of the major food categories with future (4 years later) risk of new depression, controlled for possible confounding factors with or without adjustment for cognitive status. Setting Population-based free-living elderly. Subjects Men and women ( n 1609) ≥65 years of age. Results In a regression model that controlled for demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle and disease/health-related variables but not cognitive status, both fruits (OR = 0·66, 95 % CI 0·45, 0·98, P = 0·038) and vegetables (OR = 0·38, 95 % CI 0·17, 0·86, P = 0·021) were protective against depressive symptoms 4 years later. However, when the same regression model was also adjusted for cognitive status, only vegetables (OR = 0·40, 95 % CI 0·17, 0·95, P = 0·039) were protective against depressive symptoms. Higher consumption of eggs was close to being significant in both regression models ( P = 0·087 and 0·069, respectively). Other food categories including meat/poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, legumes, grains and tea showed no significant associations. Conclusions Results suggest that although confounding factors cannot be totally ruled out, more frequent consumption of vegetables seems to be protective against depressive symptoms in the elderly. Further studies are needed to elucidate the causal role and the mechanism of the association

Biology · Cohort study · Confidence interval · Confounding · Depression (economics · Environmental health · Logistic regression · Lower risk · Population · Prospective cohort study · Refined grains · Whole grains · Demography · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Medicine · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Food Science · Gerontology · Internal Medicine

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