The relationship between dietary intakes during pregnancy and incidence of postpartum depression: a case-control study
ISSN: 0034-6659
Article publication date: 14 November 2019
Issue publication date: 21 May 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Post-partum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that affects 20-40 per cent of women in their post-delivery period worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to compare dietary intakes of energy, macronutrients, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids (SFAs), mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), some micronutrients and antioxidants in PPD patients with healthy controls.
Design/methodology/approach
This case-control study was conducted on 163 women in postpartum period (81 PPD and 82 non-PPD) using Edinburgh questionnaire for the diagnosis of PPD. Dietary nutrients intake was assessed using 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Portion sizes of food items were converted to grams per day. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between tertiles of dietary intakes with the odds ratio (OR) of PPD.
Findings
According to the fully adjusted model, highest tertile compared to lowest tertile dietary intake of SFAs [OR = 0.01; 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) = 0.00, 0.01, p = 0.001], MUFAs (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.00, 0.02, p < 0.001), total fats (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI =0.00, 0.01, p < 0.001) and cholesterol (OR = 0.06 ; 95 per cent CI = 0.01, 0.08, p < 0.001), thiamine (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.00, 0.01, p < 0.001), riboflavin (OR = 0.10; 95 per cent CI = 0.02, 0.39, p < 0.001), pyridoxine (OR = 0.03; 95 per cent CI =0.01, 0.32, p < 0.001), folate (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.00, 0.01, p < 0.001), cobalamine (OR = 0.01; 95 per cent CI = 0.00, 0.01, p < 0.001) , selenium (OR = 0.79 ; 95 per cent CI =1.36, 3.32, p < 0.001), iron (OR =0.68; 95 per cent CI = 0.24, 0.94, p < 0.001) and iodine (OR = 0.36; 95 per cent CI =1.10, 1.38, p < 0.001) had a protective effect on the incidence of PPD. Furthermore, higher intake of vitamin A and beta-cryptoxanthin can increase the incidence of PPD (OR =114.29; 95 per cent CI =17.85, 118.12, p < 0.001) and (OR = 4.85; 95 per cent CI = 1.49, 15.69, p = 0.015), respectively.
Originality/value
PPD may have destructive effects on the relationship between mother and infant. Results of previous studies demonstrated nutrients are required for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and have biochemical role in the nervous system.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was a part of PhD thesis of Shirin Amini (PhD candidate of Nutrition) and was financially supported by a grant by Vice-Chancellor for Research at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Grant Number: NRC-9601).
Ethical statement: The research protocol was approved by Medical Ethics Committee at AJUMS according to the ethical guidelines of the 2013 Declaration of Helsinki (Registration No.IR.AJUMS.REC.1396.59).
Conflict of interest statement: The authors no conflict of interest.
Contributor statement: SA, SJ and RA designed the study. SA, MS and AA H collected data. BC analyzed data. SA, SJ and RA drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed and confirmed the final manuscript.
Citation
Amini, S., Jafarirad, S., Amani, R., Sayyah Bargard, M., Cheraghian, B. and Hemmati, A.A. (2020), "The relationship between dietary intakes during pregnancy and incidence of postpartum depression: a case-control study", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 50 No. 4, pp. 751-764. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-07-2019-0229
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited