The Relationship Between Mediterranean Diet Adherence Status and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Levels in Adult Individuals

Türkçe

Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between Mediterranean diet adherence and depression, anxiety, and stress in adult individuals. Method: This study was conducted with 305 volunteers (194 female, 111 male) aged between 19-65. Sociodemographic information and anthropometric measurements of the individuals were questioned in the questionnaire form, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS) were used. Results: Of the study participants, 63.6% were female, and 36.4% were male. The median age of males and females was 33 and 29.5 respectively. Women’s median body mass index (BMI) was determined as 22.07 kg/m2 and 25.47 kg/m2 of men. While depression, anxiety, and stress levels were observed to be higher in women than in men, it was found that men scored higher on the Mediterranean diet adherence scale compared to women (p<0.05). It was found that the level of adherence with the Mediterranean diet was high in individuals with normal depression and stress levels (p<0.05). As individuals’ adherence with the Mediterranean diet increased, their depression, anxiety, and stress levels decreased. It was observed that as individuals’ ages increased, their depression, anxiety, and stress levels decreased. It was observed that as the BMI values of individuals increased, there was a decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Conclusions: As individuals’ adherence with the Mediterranean diet increased, their depression, anxiety and stress levels decreased. The study results will shed light on other studies on this subject. Supportive studies are needed in different populations.