Association between Depressive Symptoms and Supplemental intake of Calcium and Vitamin D in Older Adults

We explored the associations between depressive symptoms and supplemental calcium and vitamin D intake in older adults.

This was a prospective cohort study.

8,527 older adults aged ≥60 years from Zhejiang Major Public Health Surveillance Program (ZPHS) without depressive symptoms at baseline survey.

Participants were divided into non-supplementation, calcium (Ca), vitamin D, and calcium plus vitamin D (CaD) groups based on their supplemental intake during the past year. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between depressive symptoms and supplemental intake.

When compared to the non-supplementation group, the Ca group exhibited a significant odds ratio (OR) of 0.731 (95% CI: 0.552-0.967, P=0.028). After adjusting for age, sex, and Ca food sources, the OR was even smaller for the CaD group (OR: 0.326; 95% CI: 0.119-0.889, P=0.029). Additionally, our results indicated that taking Ca supplements ≥4 days/week yielded a significant OR of 0.690 (95% CI: 0.492-0.968) after full adjustment. Taking CaD supplements ≥4 days/week yielded a significant OR of 0.282 (95% CI: 0.089-0.898) after adjusting for age, sex, and Ca food sources.

Supplemental intake of Ca or CaD ≥4 days/week can decrease the risk of depressive symptoms in older adults, although CaD supplements may be more effective.