Background: Adherence to a nutrient-dense diet can have an impact on depression and other mental health issues. Little is known whether this is attributed to some or all components and how these differ in a country that is known to have a vast diversity of nutrient-dense foods. The aim was to examine whether there is a relationship between individual food groups with depression and other mental health disorders.
Methods: Data was from 89,955 Brazilians from the National Health Survey. Mental health and diet were accessed using a screener questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were calculated.
Results: Persons living with depression had significantly lower diet scores for vegetables/fruits (β = -0.08, 95 % CI -0.13, -0.02), grains/roots (β = -0.05; 95%CI (-0.07, -0.03)), beans (β = -0.03; 95%CI (-0.04, -0.01)) and higher scores for sweetened beverages (β = 0.04; 95%CI (0.01, 0.07)), sweets and sugars (β = 0.03; 95%CI (0.01, 0.05) and high fat/sodium products (β = 0.04; 9%CI (0.01, 0.07). Individuals living with other mental disorders showed lower scores for grains/roots (β = -0.03; 95%CI (-0.06, -0.01)) and higher scores for sweets and sugars (β = 0.06; 95%CI (0.03, 0.09)) and high fat/sodium products (β = 0.05; 95%CI (0.01, 0.09)).
Conclusion: People with mental health disorders are more likely to have an unhealthy diet. Relationships were slightly stronger with depression in particular food groups as other mental disorders. Further studies are needed to help in the prevention of these disorders.
Keywords: Depression; Dietary patterns; Food groups; Mental health; National surveys.
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