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Total sugar intake is associated with higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in obese adults
This research by Li et al. (2022) investigated symptoms of depression among a broad sample of people, with a specific focus on different body mass index (BMI) categories. Study participants (recruited from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018, n=16009) sugar intake data was assessed using 24-hour dietary recalls, and their depressive symptoms were measured using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire. The findings revealed a positive association between higher sugar consumption and an increased likelihood of depressive symptoms. Even after adjusting for other factors, individuals in the highest quintile of sugar intake were 1.56 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms compared to those in the lowest quintile. Furthermore, the study found that among obese adults with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher, there was a significant correlation between sugar intake and depressive symptoms. In contrast, this relationship was not observed among individuals with normal weight or overweight. The authors conclude that, among obese adults, elevated sugar intake was linked to a greater likelihood of experiencing clinically substantial depressive symptoms. [NPID: NHANES, cross-sectional study, depressive symptoms, obesity, sugar intake]
Year: 2022
