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The association between a priori dietary patterns and psychological disorders in military personnel
According to studies, military jobs have a high prevalence of mental health problems like stress, anxiety, and depression. One of the possible risk factors for mental illnesses is poor diet. This study by Parastouei, Rostami, & Chambari (2023) sought to determine whether a priori dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet (MD), Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), were related to the likelihood of depression, anxiety, and stress in military personnel. 400 military personnel (30 to 60 years old, mean age = 38.67 ± 5.22) participated in this cross-sectional research. Using a 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), the subjects’ dietary consumption and conformance to the DASH, MD, DII, and HEI-2015 were assessed. Using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), mental wellness was evaluated. Analysis of the results showed that stress, anxiety, and depression were all fairly common – at 64.5%, 63.2%, and 61.3%, respectively. Higher adherence to DII was associated with a 2.74-fold greater risk of anxiety, whereas individuals with the highest adherence to HEI-2015 were substantially at reduced odds of anxiety. Quartile 2 of the HEI-2015 was linked to lower chances of stress compared to those with the lowest attendance (quartile 10. Finally, dietary habits and depression were not found to be related. The authors conclude that lower chances of anxiety in military personnel are linked with higher HEI-2015 adherence and lower adherence to DII. [NPID: Dietary pattern, mental health, military]
Year: 2023
