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Vegetable and fruit consumption and psychological distress: Findings from Australian National Health Survey Data, 2011–2018
This research investigates the relationship between vegetable and fruit consumption, various lifestyle factors, and the prevalence of psychological distress among 45,717 participants aged 18 and older, as reported in the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ National Health Survey (2011–2018). Utilizing logistic regression with jackknife parameter estimation, the findings reveal that vegetable consumption is inversely related to psychological distress. Notably, consuming two servings of fruit daily is associated with reduced distress, although consuming additional servings does not yield further benefits. Analysis stratified by sex indicates that only women experience benefits from fruit intake. Furthermore, when controlling for long-term health conditions, the observed sex differences in distress levels diminish. Factors such as older age, increased physical activity, and non-smoking status are significantly linked to lower distress levels. Interestingly, individuals from lower-income groups reported higher consumption of fruits and vegetables compared to their higher-income counterparts. The study concludes that vegetable intake has a more pronounced association with mental health than fruit intake. Addressing chronic disease symptom management may present a viable strategy for mitigating sex differences in distress levels. Further research is warranted to elucidate whether the differential impact of dietary components on men and women stems from genuine biological differences or other unidentified confounding variables. [NPID: vegetables, fruits, distress, stress, mental health, women]
Year: 2025
