Sintomas depressivos e consumo alimentar em adultos e idosos brasileiros: resultados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde de 2013 e 2019

Abstract

The relationship between mental health and nutrition is bidirectional, and the way we eat can contribute to both the incidence of mental disorders and aid in their prevention and treatment. The issues related to mental disorders and inappropriate dietary habits among Brazilians represent a significant public health problem due to their high prevalence and magnitude in the population. Therefore, population-based surveys are essential tools for identifying priority health concerns, as they allow for estimating the prevalence of public health problems, such as depressive symptoms and dietary habits at the national level. In light of this, the present study aimed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and dietary habits in Brazilian adults and seniors. It is a cross sectional, population-based study that used data from the National Health Survey for the years 2013 and 2019. Indicators related to depressive symptoms, dietary habits, and socio-economic and demographic characteristics were analyzed. The exposure variable in the data analysis was depressive symptoms measured through the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, characterized in two different ways: using a cutoff point of ≥9 points and according to the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The outcome variable, dietary habits, was measured through the unhealthy dietary score. Linear regression models, both crude and adjusted, were used to assess the association between the mental health of the respondents and dietary habits. The analysis of the association between depressive symptoms and the unhealthy dietary score showed that the average score of unhealthy eating was significantly higher in individuals with depressive symptoms, regardless of the criteria used to define the outcome. Sensitivity analysis indicated that individuals with depressive symptoms specifically had a lower prevalence of regular consumption of beans, vegetables, fruits, and milk, while the regular consumption of sweetened beverages and sweets was higher. In conclusion, the study observed that in both 2013 and 2019, individuals with depressive symptoms had a poorer diet quality, with lower regular consumption of healthy food markers and a higher prevalence of regular consumption of risky food markers.