Associations between major dietary patterns and anxiety in middle-aged adults in eastern China

Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the association of major dietary patterns with anxiety in middle-aged adults in eastern China. Design: Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative FFQ. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to estimate OR and 95 % CI for anxiety according to quartiles of each dietary pattern score. Setting: Evidence regarding the relationship between dietary patterns and anxiety in the Chinese population is scarce. Participants: The study participants were 1360 Chinese adults aged 45-59 years, who participated in a health survey at the time of periodic check-up in the city of Linyi, Shandong Province, China. Results: Four major dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis: traditional Chinese, western, grains-vegetables and high-salt diets. After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in the highest quartile of the western pattern had greater odds for anxiety, compared with those in the lowest quartile (OR 1 center dot 35, 95 % CI 1 center dot 000, 3 center dot 086, P < 0 center dot 05). In contrast, participants in the highest quartile of the grains-vegetables pattern had lower odds for anxiety than did those in the lowest quartile (OR 0 center dot 78, 95 % CI 0 center dot 574, 1 center dot 000, P < 0 center dot 05). Moreover, no significant associations were observed between the traditional Chinese and high-salt patterns and the risk of anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the western pattern is associated with an increased risk, and the grains-vegetables pattern is associated with a decreased risk of anxiety.