Association of Serum Ascorbic Acid and Zinc Levels with Depressive Symptoms in Young Ecuadorian Adults: A Case–Control Study
4 affiliations
- 1Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, , Portoviejo 130105, Manabí, Ecuador; (S.B.G.E.); (S.M.C.-M.); (G.J.S.-M.)
- 2Carrera de Medicina, Campus Portoviejo, , Portoviejo 130105, Manabí, Ecuador;
- 3Departamento de Formación y Desarrollo Científico en Ingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería, Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile;
- 4Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, , Florianópolis 88040-900, Santa Catarina, Brazil;
Abstract
Background: This study assessed the association between serum ascorbic acid and zinc levels and depressive symptoms in young Ecuadorian adults. Methods: A case–control study was conducted among individuals aged 18–34 years. A total of 88 young adults were included based on PHQ-9 scores: 44 with moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 15) and 44 with lower depressive symptom severity (PHQ-9 < 15). Serum samples were collected to measure ascorbic acid and zinc concentrations. We also collected sociodemographic data, sleep patterns, and self-reported frequency of consumption of vitamin C- and zinc-rich foods. Results: Low serum ascorbic acid (<0.30 mg/dL) was observed in 75% of individuals with PHQ-9 ≥ 15 and 43.2% of those with PHQ-9 < 15 (p = 0.002). Multivariable analysis showed that each 0.1 mg/dL decrease in serum ascorbic acid (aOR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.25–2.66; p < 0.001) were associated with higher odds of moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms. In crude analyses, sleeping less than 6 h (OR = 3.75; 95% CI: 1.47–10.03; p = 0.005) and going to bed after midnight (OR = 3.59; 95% CI: 1.48–9.16; p = 0.004) were associated with higher odds of moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms. Lower self-reported frequency of consumption of vitamin C-rich foods was also associated with higher depressive symptom severity. Zinc levels showed no significant association. Conclusions: Our results show that lower serum ascorbic acid levels are significantly associated with depressive symptoms in young adults. Healthy sleep patterns and more frequent consumption of vitamin C-rich foods were more common in young adults with lower depressive symptom severity.
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BibTeX
@article{espinoza2026association,
title = {{Association of Serum Ascorbic Acid and Zinc Levels with Depressive Symptoms in Young Ecuadorian Adults: A Case–Control Study}},
author = {Shirley Bethzabe Guamán Espinoza and Sara María Cantos-Macías and Luis Fabricio Cordova Reyes and Ginger Jamileth Santana-Moreira and Karime Montes-Escobar and Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues and Aline Siteneski},
journal = {Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/medsci14060646},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13706711},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association of Serum Ascorbic Acid and Zinc Levels with Depressive Symptoms in Young Ecuadorian Adults: A Case–Control Study
AU - Shirley Bethzabe Guamán Espinoza
AU - Sara María Cantos-Macías
AU - Luis Fabricio Cordova Reyes
AU - Ginger Jamileth Santana-Moreira
AU - Karime Montes-Escobar
AU - Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues
AU - Aline Siteneski
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/medsci14060646
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13706711
AB - Background: This study assessed the association between serum ascorbic acid and zinc levels and depressive symptoms in young Ecuadorian adults. Methods: A case–control study was conducted among individuals aged 18–34 years. A total of 88 young adults were included based on PHQ-9 scores: 44 with moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 15) and 44 with lower depressive symptom severity (PHQ-9 < 15). Serum samples were collected to measure ascorbic acid and zinc concentrations. We also collected sociodemographic data, sleep patterns, and self-reported frequency of consumption of vitamin C- and zinc-rich foods. Results: Low serum ascorbic acid (<0.30 mg/dL) was observed in 75% of individuals with PHQ-9 ≥ 15 and 43.2% of those with PHQ-9 < 15 (p = 0.002). Multivariable analysis showed that each 0.1 mg/dL decrease in serum ascorbic acid (aOR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.25–2.66; p < 0.001) were associated with higher odds of moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms. In crude analyses, sleeping less than 6 h (OR = 3.75; 95% CI: 1.47–10.03; p = 0.005) and going to bed after midnight (OR = 3.59; 95% CI: 1.48–9.16; p = 0.004) were associated with higher odds of moderately severe-to-severe depressive symptoms. Lower self-reported frequency of consumption of vitamin C-rich foods was also associated with higher depressive symptom severity. Zinc levels showed no significant association. Conclusions: Our results show that lower serum ascorbic acid levels are significantly associated with depressive symptoms in young adults. Healthy sleep patterns and more frequent consumption of vitamin C-rich foods were more common in young adults with lower depressive symptom severity.
SN - 2076-3271
ER -