Association between different diet quality scores and depression risk: the REGICOR population-based cohort study.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine the association between diet quality, including the DASH diet, and depression incidence in a population-based cohort.
Results Summary
The study found an inverse association between diet quality and depression incidence, though specific results for the DASH diet were not highlighted in the abstract.
Population
3046 adults (50.3% women) with a mean age of 54.7 years from the REGICOR cohort in Catalonia, Spain.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
6 years for primary analysis, 12 years for secondary outcome
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
higher relative Mediterranean Diet Score (rMED) | decrease | depressive disorder | 3046 adults (50.3% women) with a mean age of 54.7 years | 16% | 16% lower odds | #1 |
higher World Health Organization Healthy Diet Indicator (WHO-HDI) | decrease | clinical depression diagnosis | 4789 participants | 19% | 19% lower risk | #2 |
adherence to a healthy diet | decrease | depression incidence | population-based cohort study participants | - | significant inverse association | #3 |
BACKGROUND: Our aim was to determine the association between diet quality and depression incidence in the population-based REGICOR cohort study, Catalonia, Spain. METHODS: Prospective observational study using participants' baseline (2003-2006), follow-up (2007-2013) and clinical records data. Five diet quality scores were derived from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at baseline: the relative Mediterranean Diet Score (rMED), the Modified Mediterranean Diet Score (ModMDS), a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score, a Healthful Plant-based Diet Index (HPDI) and the World Health Organization Healthy Diet Indicator (WHO-HDI). Participants using pharmacological antidepressant treatment were excluded as a proxy for presence of depression at baseline. At follow-up, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was applied to assess depressive symptoms (≥ 10 defining depressive disorder). A secondary outcome was depression diagnosis assessed through clinical records. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used. RESULTS: Main analysis included 3046 adults (50.3% women) with a mean age of 54.7 (SD = 11.6) years. After 6-years follow-up, 184 (6.04%) cases of depressive disorder were identified. There was 16% lower odds of depressive disorder per 1SD increase of rMED (OR = 0.84; 95%CI = 0.71-0.98). Secondary outcome analysis (n = 4789) identified 261 (5.45%) incident cases of clinical depression diagnosis over 12 years follow-up, and 19% lower risk of clinical depression was observed with the WHO-HDI (HR = 0.81; 95%CI = 0.70-0.93). Adjusting for BMI did not attenuate the findings. CONCLUSIONS: A significant inverse association between diet quality and depression incidence was found in this population-based cohort study, independent of sociodemographic, health and lifestyle. Adherence to a healthy diet could be a complementary intervention for the prevention of depression.