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Nutrition and health (including climate and ecological aspects)

The consumption of wholegrain is related to depressive symptoms among Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 76, pages 126–133 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background

Wholegrains contribute a range of beneficial nutrients, such as dietary fiber and several minerals and vitamins, that are beneficial to depressive symptoms. However, there are a few studies aimed at exploring whether a wholegrain diet is related to depressive symptoms. We conducted this study to investigate the relationship between wholegrains consumption and depressive symptoms.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included a total of 24,776 (mean age: 39.9 years, age range: 18.1–91.3 years; males, 54.1%) inhabitants living in Tianjin, China. Wholegrains consumption was assessed using a valid self-administered food frequency questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Chinese version of Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the cutoff point was set at 45. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship between wholegrains consumption and depressive symptoms.

Results

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 19.1% and 22.4% in males and females, respectively. After adjustments for potential confounding factors, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of depressive symptoms across wholegrains consumption were 0.77 (0.65–0.91) for <1 time/week, 0.73 (0.62–0.86) for 1 time/week and 0.68 (0.59–0.79) for ≥2 time/week in males compared with the control group (almost never). In females, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.86 (0.71–1.04) for <1 time/week, 0.94 (0.78–1.13) for 1 time/week, and 0.76 (0.65–0.91) for ≥2 time/week. Similar results were observed when we use other cut-offs (SDS ≥ 40 and 50) to define depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

This study first demonstrated that the higher consumption of wholegrains might have effects on the prevention and improvement of depressive symptoms. Prospective or intervention studies are needed to confirm these findings.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge all the people that have made this study.

Funding

This study was supported by grants from China Cohort Consortium (No. CCC2020003) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81872611, 81673166), China.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Hanzhang Wu, Shunming Zhang.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

    Hanzhang Wu, Shunming Zhang, Ge Meng, Hongmei Wu, Yawen Wang, Tingjing Zhang, Xuena Wang, Juanjuan Zhang & Kaijun Niu

  2. Department of Toxicology and Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

    Ge Meng

  3. Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China

    Qing Zhang, Li Liu, Shaomei Sun, Xing Wang, Ming Zhou, Qiyu Jia, Kun Song & Kaijun Niu

  4. Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China

    Yeqing Gu

  5. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin, China

    Kaijun Niu

  6. Center for International Collaborative Research on Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin, China

    Kaijun Niu

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Wu, H., Zhang, S., Meng, G. et al. The consumption of wholegrain is related to depressive symptoms among Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study. Eur J Clin Nutr 76, 126–133 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-00917-2

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