Relationships between depression and food intake in climacteric women

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated the associations between food intake – especially omega-3 (n-3) – and depressive symptoms in climacteric women.

Methods: Four hundred climacteric women were included in this research. The Kupperman Index, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and a 3-day food diary were used to investigate climacteric symptoms, depressive symptoms, and food intake, respectively. Sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric variables were also explored.

Results: Statistically significant associations were observed between depression and climacteric symptoms, climacteric phase, previous history of depression, antidepressant drug use, family income, sleep pattern, and consumption of carbohydrates, fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins C, D, and B12. No association was observed between n-3 consumption and depression.

Conclusion: Climacteric symptoms and food intake are important factors linked to depression during the climacteric period. Further studies are needed to clarify the changes in this phase of women’s lives, as well as to investigate the role of the diet in the depression treatment or prevention.

摘要

目的：本研究评估了食物摄入量, 特别是omega-3（n-3）与更年期女性抑郁之间的关系。

方法：400名更年期女性参加了这项研究。Kupperman评分、流行病学研究中心抑郁量表和为期3天的饮食日记分别用于调查更年期症状、抑郁症状和食物摄入量, 还探讨了社会人口学、临床和人体测量学变量。

结果：抑郁与更年期症状、更年期阶段、既往抑郁史、抗抑郁药物应用、家庭收入、睡眠模式、碳水化合物、纤维、多不饱和脂肪酸、镁、锌、维生素C、D和B12的摄入量有统计学意义的相关性, 未观察到n-3消耗与抑郁症之间的关联。

结论：更年期症状和食物摄入量是更年期抑郁症的重要因素。需要进一步的研究来阐明女性生命这一阶段的变化, 以及调查饮食在抑郁症治疗或预防中的作用。

Keywords:

• Depressive disorder
• climacteric
• food intake
• unsaturated fatty acids

Potential conflict of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest in the current investigation.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been developed with the authors’ own funding.