The relationship between dietary nutrient intake and adolescent depression based on the dietary inflammation index: a case-control study.
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China.
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital, Taiyuan, 030024, China.
- 3School of Nursing, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China.
- 4Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- 5Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China.
- 6Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China. [email protected].
- 7Shanxi Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence Assisted Diagnosis and Treatment for Mental Disorder, Taiyuan, 030001, China. [email protected].
- 8Department of Psychiatry, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background and purpose
The global increase in adolescent Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has profound implications for physical and mental development, contributing to a significant societal burden. Emerging evidence suggests that low-grade chronic inflammation, commonly observed in adolescents with MDD, is associated with the severity of the disorder. This study explores the relationship among dietary inflammation, dietary nutrients and adolescent depression, utilizing data from the Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) in a population from northern China.Methods
A case-control study was conducted between March 2022 and October 2023, involving 172 treatment-naïve adolescents aged 10-23 years diagnosed with MDD and 172 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Although the calculated minimum sample size was 174 per group, two matched pairs were excluded during data cleaning because extreme dietary reporting could have biased nutrient intake estimation. The E-DII was derived using data from a validated semi-quantitative Chinese food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Logistic regression was employed to evaluate the association between E-DII and the risk of adolescent MDD, while restricted cubic spline (RCS) functions assessed the dose-response relationships between specific dietary nutrient intakes and MDD.Results
A positive association was identified between the E-DII and the risk of adolescent MDD (OR = 3.24; 95% CI: 2.32-4.51; P < 0.001), which persisted after adjusting for potential confounders (OR = 3.23; 95% CI: 2.22-4.69; P < 0.001). Although an increase in E-DII score correlated with higher HAMD scores, intra-group differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.159). Several dietary nutrients, including Vitamin B12, dietary fiber, zinc, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), folate, and anthocyanins, were negatively associated with the risk of MDD in adolescents, whereas carbohydrates, selenium, and alcohol intake were positively associated with MDD risk (all P < 0.05). RCS analysis showed nonlinear dose-response relationships for PUFA, anthocyanins, vitamin B12, and alcohol intake, whereas selenium, zinc, folate, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber showed linear associations with MDD risk.Conclusion
This study underscores a positive correlation between the E-DII and both the risk and severity of adolescent depression, emphasizing the critical role of dietary factors in the prevention and management of adolescent depression. From a clinical and public health perspective, early dietary assessment and promotion of anti-inflammatory dietary patterns may provide a feasible adjunctive strategy for reducing depression risk in adolescents.
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BibTeX
@article{cheng2026relationship,
title = {{The relationship between dietary nutrient intake and adolescent depression based on the dietary inflammation index: a case-control study.}},
author = {Junxiang Cheng and Ning Ma and Qia Liu and Guofang Yang and Chenjing Ma and Hong Han and Na Liu and Zhifen Liu and Shifan Han},
journal = {BMC psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12888-026-08425-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42963577},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The relationship between dietary nutrient intake and adolescent depression based on the dietary inflammation index: a case-control study.
AU - Junxiang Cheng
AU - Ning Ma
AU - Qia Liu
AU - Guofang Yang
AU - Chenjing Ma
AU - Hong Han
AU - Na Liu
AU - Zhifen Liu
AU - Shifan Han
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/03
JO - BMC psychiatry
DO - 10.1186/s12888-026-08425-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42963577
AB - Background and purpose The global increase in adolescent Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has profound implications for physical and mental development, contributing to a significant societal burden. Emerging evidence suggests that low-grade chronic inflammation, commonly observed in adolescents with MDD, is associated with the severity of the disorder. This study explores the relationship among dietary inflammation, dietary nutrients and adolescent depression, utilizing data from the Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) in a population from northern China.Methods A case-control study was conducted between March 2022 and October 2023, involving 172 treatment-naïve adolescents aged 10-23 years diagnosed with MDD and 172 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Although the calculated minimum sample size was 174 per group, two matched pairs were excluded during data cleaning because extreme dietary reporting could have biased nutrient intake estimation. The E-DII was derived using data from a validated semi-quantitative Chinese food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Logistic regression was employed to evaluate the association between E-DII and the risk of adolescent MDD, while restricted cubic spline (RCS) functions assessed the dose-response relationships between specific dietary nutrient intakes and MDD.Results A positive association was identified between the E-DII and the risk of adolescent MDD (OR = 3.24; 95% CI: 2.32-4.51; P < 0.001), which persisted after adjusting for potential confounders (OR = 3.23; 95% CI: 2.22-4.69; P < 0.001). Although an increase in E-DII score correlated with higher HAMD scores, intra-group differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.159). Several dietary nutrients, including Vitamin B12, dietary fiber, zinc, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), folate, and anthocyanins, were negatively associated with the risk of MDD in adolescents, whereas carbohydrates, selenium, and alcohol intake were positively associated with MDD risk (all P < 0.05). RCS analysis showed nonlinear dose-response relationships for PUFA, anthocyanins, vitamin B12, and alcohol intake, whereas selenium, zinc, folate, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber showed linear associations with MDD risk.Conclusion This study underscores a positive correlation between the E-DII and both the risk and severity of adolescent depression, emphasizing the critical role of dietary factors in the prevention and management of adolescent depression. From a clinical and public health perspective, early dietary assessment and promotion of anti-inflammatory dietary patterns may provide a feasible adjunctive strategy for reducing depression risk in adolescents.
SN - 1471-244X
ER -