A A Kulkarni1, B A Swinburn1, J Utter1. 1. Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between diet quality and mental health in an ethnically diverse adolescent population in New Zealand. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: Cross-sectional, population-based study design. Data were available at baseline for 4249 students. Responses from self-reported dietary questionnaires were used to assess diet quality; healthy eating and unhealthy eating were assessed as two separate scales. Mental health was assessed by the emotional subscale of the PedsQL instrument. RESULTS: Eating a healthy diet was significantly associated with better emotional health (P<0.001) and eating an unhealthy diet was significantly associated with greater emotional distress (P<0.001), after controlling for age, ethnicity and gender. The healthy and unhealthy eating scales were independently related to mental health scores. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to a growing body of literature that diet quality is associated with mental health in adolescents. Further research is warranted to determine whether improvements to the diets of adolescents can have meaningful improvements to mental well-being.
BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between diet quality and mental health in an ethnically diverse adolescent population in New Zealand. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: Cross-sectional, population-based study design. Data were available at baseline for 4249 students. Responses from self-reported dietary questionnaires were used to assess diet quality; healthy eating and unhealthy eating were assessed as two separate scales. Mental health was assessed by the emotional subscale of the PedsQL instrument. RESULTS: Eating a healthy diet was significantly associated with better emotional health (P<0.001) and eating an unhealthy diet was significantly associated with greater emotional distress (P<0.001), after controlling for age, ethnicity and gender. The healthy and unhealthy eating scales were independently related to mental health scores. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to a growing body of literature that diet quality is associated with mental health in adolescents. Further research is warranted to determine whether improvements to the diets of adolescents can have meaningful improvements to mental well-being.
Authors: Seanna E McMartin; Stefan Kuhle; Ian Colman; Sara F L Kirk; Paul J Veugelers Journal: Public Health Nutr Date: 2012-03-14 Impact factor: 4.022
Authors: Debra L Franko; Ruth H Striegel-Moore; Douglas Thompson; George B Schreiber; Stephen R Daniels Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2005-10 Impact factor: 7.723
Authors: Laura P Richardson; Robert Davis; Richie Poulton; Elizabeth McCauley; Terrie E Moffitt; Avshalom Caspi; Frederick Connell Journal: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med Date: 2003-08
Authors: Nuria Rubio-López; María Morales-Suárez-Varela; Yolanda Pico; Lorenzo Livianos-Aldana; Agustín Llopis-González Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2016-03-22 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Yvonne C Anderson; Lisa E Wynter; Michelle S Butler; Cameron C Grant; Joanna M Stewart; Tami L Cave; Cervantée E K Wild; José G B Derraik; Wayne S Cutfield; Paul L Hofman Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-11-23 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Mulusew G Jebena; David Lindstrom; Tefera Belachew; Craig Hadley; Carl Lachat; Roos Verstraeten; Nathalie De Cock; Patrick Kolsteren Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-11-15 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Tamlin S Conner; Kate L Brookie; Anitra C Carr; Louise A Mainvil; Margreet C M Vissers Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-02-03 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Louise Arvidsson; Gabriele Eiben; Monica Hunsberger; Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij; Denes Molnar; Hannah Jilani; Barbara Thumann; Toomas Veidebaum; Paola Russo; Michael Tornatitis; Alba M Santaliestra-Pasías; Valeria Pala; Lauren Lissner Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2017-12-14 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Margaret M Thomas; Jessica Gugusheff; Heather J Baldwin; Joanne Gale; Sinead Boylan; Seema Mihrshahi Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-10-15 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Maria Niarchou; Enda M Byrne; Maciej Trzaskowski; Julia Sidorenko; Kathryn E Kemper; John J McGrath; Michael C O' Donovan; Michael J Owen; Naomi R Wray Journal: Transl Psychiatry Date: 2020-02-03 Impact factor: 6.222