Combined association of depressive symptoms and sugar-sweetened beverages consumption with low cognitive performance

The combined association of depressive symptoms and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption with low cognitive performance is poorly understood so far.

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014 and Food Patterns Equivalents Database was used. Depressive symptoms were identified using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The combinations of depressive symptoms/SSB were defined as a categorical variable comprising no depressive symptoms/low SSB, no depressive symptoms/high SSB, mild-to-severe depressive symptoms/low SSB and mild-to-severe depressive symptoms/high SSB. Cognitive function was measured by three tests. People whose score were lower than the gender group stratified lowest quartile were defined as low cognitive performance. Logistic regression model was applied to examine the combined association with low cognitive performance. Interaction analysis was conducted to verify the interaction with gender.

The combined associations of depressive symptoms and SSB consumption with low cognitive performance were significant. For the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease test, the combinations of mild-to-severe depressive symptoms/low SSB (ORs (95 % CI): 1.59 (1.01, 2.52)), no depressive symptoms/high SSB (ORs (95 % CI): 1.48 (0.96, 2.26)) and mild-to-severe depressive symptoms/high SSB (ORs (95 % CI): 1.74 (1.21, 2.53)) had significant or marginally significant associations with low cognitive performance to those with no depressive symptoms and low SSB consumption.

This is a cross-sectional study.

The combination of depressive symptoms and SSB consumption might be associated with low cognitive performance, which had gender differences. These evidences could help guide interventions that focus on dietary nutrition patterns or mood for low cognitive performance.