ArticleJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics2025
Depression and Diet Quality, US Adolescents and Young Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015-March 2020.
Article in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Isocaloric substitution of plant for animal protein and health-related quality of life in Spanish adolescents.European journal of nutrition · 2026Article
- Article
- Association of Diet Quality with Depression, Anxiety, and Comorbidity Symptoms in Chinese School-Aged Children.Nutrients · 2025Article
- From Healthy Eating to Positive Mental Health in Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model Involving Stress Management and Peer Support.Nutrients · 2025Article
- A new method for developing an efficient, regional semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition · 2025Article
- Evaluating the Association of Anxiety, Depression, and Diet With Gastrointestinal Pain in Young College Adults.AJPM focus · 2025Article
- Exploring the relationship between physical activity and Inhibitory Function in College Students with depressive symptoms through EEG.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Evaluating and modifying the PHDI for depression prevention: insights from NHANES 2005-2018.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
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Abstract
backgroundDepression is a common mental health disorder.
objectiveThe objective of this study was to explore the association between diet quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index 2020 (HEI-2020), and depression symptoms among US adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 29 years.
designThe study design was a cross-sectional secondary data analysis.
participantsData from the first 24-hour dietary recall for adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 29 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2015 to March 2020 (n = 4750) were analyzed.
main outcome measureDepression was defined as a score ≥10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire, reflecting moderate or severe symptoms in the previous 2 weeks. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: HEI-2020 total (range, 0-100) and component scores were calculated for those with and without depression. Predicted HEI-2020 scores were estimated from linear regression models, adjusting for age, gender, race and Hispanic origin, family income, and seeing a mental health professional in the past year. Statistical analyses accounted for the complex sample design.
resultsThe prevalence of depression among adolescents and young adults was 7.8% (95% CI 6.3% to 9.5%). Total HEI-2020 score was 45.9 (95% CI 45.0 to 46.7) out of 100 on a given day during 2015 to March 2020. Among young people with depression, total HEI-2020 score was lower than among those without depression (41.7 vs 46.2; P < .001). After adjustment for covariates, the difference was attenuated, but remained significant. In adjusted analyses, HEI-2020 component scores were lower for those with depression compared with those without depression for the adequacy components: total fruits (1.4 vs 1.7; P = .03), whole fruits (1.2 vs 1.7; P < .01), total vegetables (2.1 vs 2.6; P < .01), greens and beans (0.8 vs 1.2; P < .01), and total protein foods (3.6 vs 4.0; P = .02) out of a maximum score of 5. There were no statistically significant differences observed for whole grains, dairy, seafood and plant proteins, fatty acids, saturated fats, refined grains, sodium, or added sugars.
conclusionsOverall diet quality is low among young people. Diet quality, especially consumption of fruits, vegetables, and protein foods was lower among young people with depression compared with those without depression.
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