Role of BMI in the Relationship Between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Depression: An Intermediary Analysis

Yuxia Ma; Ruiqiang Li; Wenqiang Zhan; Xin Huang; Zechen Zhang; Shuaishuai Lv; Jiaqi Wang; Luyao Liang; Xiaofang Jia

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.748788

Role of BMI in the Relationship Between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Depression: An Intermediary Analysis

Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Nov 15:8:748788. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.748788. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yuxia Ma¹, Ruiqiang Li¹, Wenqiang Zhan², Xin Huang¹, Zechen Zhang¹, Shuaishuai Lv¹, Jiaqi Wang¹, Luyao Liang¹, Xiaofang Jia³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Environment and Human Health, Shijiazhuang, China.
² School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
³ National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigated this association and the role of BMI in the inflammatory process in a large population-based observational study. Methods: A total of 1,865 elderly people (≥55 years) were followed from the Community Cohort Study of Nervous System Diseases (CCSNSD) cohort study from 2018 to 2019 (Mean [SD] age, 66.31 [0.32] years; 716 [38.4%] males). The semi-quantitative FFQ and geriatric depression scale (GDS) were used to evaluate the diet and depressive symptoms of the elderly, respectively. The multivariable logistic regression model estimated the OR and 95% CI between Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and depression. The interaction of E-DII and BMI on depressive events was tested, and the mediation analysis of BMI was performed. Results: As measured by E-DII, the mean (SE) value of the inflammatory potential of the diet in our study was 1.56 (0.12). E-DII ranged from 5.23 to 5.58. In comparison with the first quartile, the elderly from the second quartile (OR: 1.15 [95% CI: 1.09, 1.28]) to the fourth quartile (OR: 1.31 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.42]) have a higher risk of depression before adjustment for BMI. An interaction was observed between E-DII and BMI in terms of the risk of depression (P_Interaction < 0.001). The whole related part is mediated by BMI (31.06%). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the higher pro-inflammatory potential of diet is associated with a higher risk of depression, and this association may be mediated by BMI. Further research is needed to verify our findings and clarify the latent mechanism.

Keywords: body mass index; depression; diet; dietary inflammatory index; mediation analysis.