Associations between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and depression among pregnant and postpartum women: analysis of NHANES 2005-2018
Abstract
Background: Perinatal depression, which occurs during pregnancy or after childbirth, is a common and serious complication of pregnancy. Chronic low-grade inflammation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a validated measure of the inflammatory potential of a diet, where higher scores indicate a more proinflammatory diet. This study examined the association between DII and depression among pregnant and postpartum women, with a focus on potential non-linear (threshold) effects.
Methods: We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2018. The sample included 1,093 women who were either pregnant or in the postpartum period within 18 months. Dietary intake was assessed via 24-h recall, and DII scores were calculated for each participant. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); we defined depression as a PHQ-9 score ≥10, indicating moderate or greater depressive symptoms. Weighted multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for depression in relation to DII scores, and weighted linear regression was used to assess the association between DII scores and PHQ-9 total scores. Models were adjusted for potential confounders, including age, race, poverty income ratio, marital status, smoking status, education level, BMI and WBC. We tested for non-linear relationships using a generalized additive model (GAM). A…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 1,093 participants or records.
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