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Vegetable and fruit consumption and psychological distress: Findings from Australian National Health Survey Data, 2011–2018
This study aims to elucidate the association between the consumption of vegetables and fruits and the prevalence of psychological distress, while also examining sex differences in these relationships. Utilizing data from 45,717 participants aged 18 and older, collected from the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey across the years 2011–12, 2014–15, and 2017–18, logistic regression with jackknife parameter estimation was employed for analysis. The findings reveal that vegetable consumption is inversely correlated with psychological distress. Specifically, consuming two servings of fruit per day is associated with reduced distress; however, consuming additional servings does not confer further benefits. Notably, stratification by sex indicates that only female participants experience a mental health benefit from fruit consumption. When controlling for long-term health conditions, the observed sex differences in distress levels were diminished. Moreover, the study identified that older age, increased levels of physical activity, and non-smoking status are significantly associated with reduced psychological distress. Interestingly, the frequency of alcohol consumption also exhibited an inverse relationship with distress. Furthermore, lower-income groups were found to consume higher quantities of fruits and vegetables compared to their higher-income counterparts. Ultimately, the analysis suggests that vegetable consumption may have a stronger correlation with mental health than fruit consumption. Addressing chronic disease symptom management could be a viable approach to mitigate sex differences in distress levels. Future research is warranted to investigate the differential effects of dietary components on men and women, aiming to determine whether these differences stem from genuine biological variations or unidentified confounding factors. [NPID: Distress, vegetable, lower-income, higher-income, psychological, fruits]
Year: 2025
