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Dietary patterns and incidence of depression in a cohort of community-dwelling older Canadians

  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the association of dietary patterns with a 3-year incidence of depression among healthy older adults.

Design

Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, marital status, smoking, education, total energy intake, physical activity, body mass index, hypertension, functional autonomy, cognitive functioning, social activities, and stressful life events. Energy and macronutrient intakes were also analyzed as potential predictors of depression.

Setting

Cities of Montréal, Laval, and Sherbrooke in Quebec, CA.

Participants

Community-dwelling older adults, free of depression at baseline (N=1,358, 67–84 y), followed for 3y in the Québec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Aging (NuAge).

Measurements

Dietary patterns derived from principal components analysis of three 24 h-recalls at baseline, and depression incidence as measured by the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (≥11) and/or use of antidepressants at follow-up years.

Results

170 people (63% women) became depressed over the 3 years. People in the highest tertile of adherence to the “varied diet” had lower risk of depression before adjustment (OR 0.58, 98% C.I. 0.38–0.86) but not significant once age and sex were controlled. No other dietary pattern was associated with the incidence of depression. The highest tertile of energy intake was associated with lower depression incidence after controlling for all confounders (OR 0.55, 95%CI 0.34–0.87).

Conclusion

Among healthy older adults, dietary patterns do not appear to be related to depression. Those who eat less, however, possibly reflecting declining health, are at higher risk of becoming depressed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Macdonald-Stewart Building MS 2-035, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada, H9X 3V9

    L. Gougeon & Katherine Gray-Donald

  2. Research Center on Aging, Health and Social Services Centre — University Institute of Geriatrics of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 4C4, Canada

    H. Payette

  3. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada

    H. Payette

  4. Division of Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada

    J. Morais

  5. Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal Research Center, Montreal, QC, H1W 4A4, Canada

    P. Gaudreau

  6. Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada

    P. Gaudreau

  7. Department of Nutrition, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, H3T 1A8, Canada

    B. Shatenstein

  8. Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal Research Center, Montreal, QC, H3W 1W5, Canada

    B. Shatenstein

Authors
  1. L. Gougeon
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  2. H. Payette
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  3. J. Morais
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  4. P. Gaudreau
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  5. B. Shatenstein
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  6. Katherine Gray-Donald
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katherine Gray-Donald.

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Gougeon, L., Payette, H., Morais, J. et al. Dietary patterns and incidence of depression in a cohort of community-dwelling older Canadians. J Nutr Health Aging 19, 431–436 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-014-0562-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-014-0562-9

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