Association between dietary intake and symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women: Evidence from a community-based observational study

Yunhan Yu; Wensu Zhou; Xidi Zhu; Zhao Hu; Shaojie Li; Baohua Zheng; Huilan Xu; Wei Long; Xiyue Xiong

doi:10.1002/fsn3.3675

Association between dietary intake and symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women: Evidence from a community-based observational study

Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Sep 21;11(12):7555-7564. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3675. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Yunhan Yu¹, Wensu Zhou^{2

3}, Xidi Zhu⁴, Zhao Hu⁴, Shaojie Li³, Baohua Zheng³, Huilan Xu³, Wei Long¹, Xiyue Xiong⁵

Affiliations

¹ Medical Administration Division Hengyang Central Hospital Hengyang China.
² Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China.
³ Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health Central South University Changsha China.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xiangya School of Public Health Central South University Changsha China.
⁵ NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defect for Research and Prevention Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Changsha China.

Abstract

Dietary intake is considered as a crucial factor affecting mental health symptoms, particularly depression and anxiety symptoms, especially in the case of pregnant women. This study explored the role of dietary intake in depression and anxiety symptoms of pregnant women and provided evidence for primary care interventions. We enrolled 806 pregnant women in their third trimester from 14 communities in Hengyang City, Hunan Province, China, from July 2019 to September 2019. The Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire-7 (GAD-7) were used to assess depression and anxiety symptoms. Dietary intake, demographic characteristics, BMI, and pregnancy characteristics were collected using a self-designed, structural questionnaire. A covariate-adjusted logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between mental health symptoms and dietary intake. The prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in our population were 7.7% (95% CI: 5.9%-9.5%) and 9.2% (95% CI: 7.2%-11.2%), respectively. Women consuming eggs and egg products once a week (OR: 3.688, 95% CI: 1.476-9.215) were more likely to have depression symptom than consumed eggs and egg products once or more per day. Consuming green leafy vegetable <2-3 times per month had a significantly greater risk for depression symptoms than consuming the same once or more per day (OR: 3.450, 95% CI: 1.145-10.393). Women who consumed eggs and egg products 2-3 times a week had an increased likelihood of experiencing anxiety symptoms (OR: 2.253, 95% CI: 1.049-4.837). Anxiety symptoms in women consuming green leafy vegetables <2-3 times per month probably increased by 3.988 times (95% CI: 1.327-11.985) compared with women consuming the same once or more per day. Consuming salted and smoked food <2-3 times per month was protective against anxiety symptoms (OR: 0.181, 95% CI: 0.040-0.828) than consuming the same every day. Implementing interventions to promote healthy dietary among pregnant women is crucial due to its association with mental health. However, future researches are warranted to confirm the reliability and causal association obtained in this study.

Keywords: dietary intake; mental health symptoms; pregnant women; prevention.