Dietary antioxidants and fibre intake and depressive symptoms in Iranian adolescent girls

Objective: To investigate the cross-sectional association between dietary intakes of antioxidants and fibre and depressive symptoms among Iranian adolescent girls. Design: A cross-sectional population-based study. Setting: Primary schools in two different cities located in northeastern Iran (Mashhad and Sabzevar). Participants: A total of 988 adolescent girls aged 12-18 years were included in the study. Results: Subjects with no or minimal depression symptoms had significantly higher dietary intakes of alpha-carotene (P = 0 center dot 01), beta-carotene (P = 0 center dot 006), lutein (P = 0 center dot 03) and vitamin C (P = 0 center dot 04) when compared with subjects with mild-to-severe depression symptoms. Soluble dietary fibre and insoluble dietary fibre intakes were also significantly higher in healthy adolescents compared with those with depression symptoms (P < 0 center dot 001). In multivariate-adjusted model 2, the OR (95 % CI) of depressive symptoms were 0 center dot 61 (95 % CI 0 center dot 37, 1 center dot 01), 0 center dot 42 (95 % CI 0 center dot 26, 0 center dot 69), 0 center dot 50 (95 % CI 0 center dot 31, 0 center dot 79), 0 center dot 71 (95 % CI 0 center dot 44, 1 center dot 15), 0 center dot 51 (95 % CI 0 center dot 32, 0 center dot 82) and 0 center dot 42 (95 % CI 0 center dot 25, 0 center dot 68) for the highest v. lowest quartile of vitamin C, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, soluble dietary fibre and insoluble dietary fibre cereal intakes, respectively. Conclusions: Dietary intake of some antioxidants and dietary fibre intake was inversely associated with depression symptoms among Iranian adolescent girls.