Dietary patterns and incidence of depression in a cohort of community-dwelling older Canadians

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of dietary patterns with a 3-year incidence of depression among healthy older adults. DESIGN: Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, marital status, smoking, education, total energy intake, physical activity, body mass index, hypertension, functional autonomy, cognitive functioning, social activities, and stressful life events. Energy and macronutrient intakes were also analyzed as potential predictors of depression. SETTING: Cities of Montréal, Laval, and Sherbrooke in Quebec, CA. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults, free of depression at baseline (N=1,358, 67–84 y), followed for 3y in the Québec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Aging (NuAge). MEASUREMENTS: Dietary patterns derived from principal components analysis of three 24 h-recalls at baseline, and depression incidence as measured by the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (≥11) and/or use of antidepressants at follow-up years. RESULTS: 170 people (63% women) became depressed over the 3 years. People in the highest tertile of adherence to the “varied diet” had lower risk of depression before adjustment (OR 0.58, 98% C.I. 0.38–0.86) but not significant once age and sex were controlled. No other dietary pattern was associated with the incidence of depression. The highest tertile of energy intake was associated with lower depression incidence after controlling for all confounders (OR 0.55, 95%CI 0.34–0.87). CONCLUSION: Among healthy older adults, dietary patterns do not appear to be related to depression. Those who eat less, however, possibly reflecting declining health, are at higher risk of becoming depressed.