Mental Health Status and Dietary Intake Among California Adults: A Population-based Survey (International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition)

In this study, 2005-2015 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data were used to examine the association between dietary intake frequencies and mental health – Kessler-6 scores categorized as no/low (NLPD), moderate (MPD) or serious psychological distress (SPD). The 245,891 surveys represented 27.7 million adults annually, with 13.2 percent having MPD and 3.7 percent SPD.

Findings: Survey-adjusted regression adjusting for gender, age, race, education, poverty, marital status, BMI, geography and year found MPD and SPD associated with lower consumption of fruits, vegetables, and increased consumption of French fries, fast food, soda and variance-adjusted daily teaspoons of sugar. In this large population-based sample, moderate and SPD were independently associated with unhealthy diet. Targeted public health interventions could focus on young adults and those with less than 12 years of education.

• Jim E. Banta
• et al