Association between major dietary patterns and mental health problems among college students

Mental health problems, specifically, depression, anxiety, and stress are among the major public health issues worldwide. Diet modification can be a helpful strategy for the prevention and management of psychological disorders. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the association between major dietary patterns and mental health problems among Iranian college students.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 412 college students. Dietary intakes were assessed using a 168-item semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The 42-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale was applied to evaluate subjects' mental health. Major dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. Logistic regression was applied to assess the association between major dietary patterns and mental health problems.

Participants in the third tertile of the "plant-based" dietary pattern had lower odds of depression compared with the first tertile, after adjustment for the potential confounders [odds ratio (OR) = 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-0.65, P trend <0.01 for model I and OR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.17-0.67, P trend <0.01 for model II]. The "plant-based" dietary pattern showed no significant association with the risk of stress and anxiety. However, this association for anxiety became marginally significant in model II (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.36-0.98, P trend = 0.07). The "Western" dietary pattern also was not associated with the likelihood of depression, stress, and anxiety.

A strong inverse association was observed between the "plant-based" dietary pattern and depression. While the "Western" dietary pattern was not associated with mental health problems among college students, further prospective studies are warranted.