The association between dietary patterns and depressive symptoms in older adults: longitudinal evidence from the Czech Republic

Kateřina Váchová, Anna Bartoskova Polcrova, Denes Stefler, Nadezda Capkova, Martin Bobak and Hynek Pikhart
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Anna Bartoskova Polcrova: RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Denes Stefler: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom
Nadezda Capkova: National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czechia
Martin Bobak: RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom
Hynek Pikhart: RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, United Kingdom

MUNI ECON Working Papers from Masaryk University

Abstract: **Purpose** Late-life depression is more likely to be modified by external factors, such as diet. We aimed to longitudinally assess the relationship of three dietary scores with depressive symptoms in Czech older adults. **Methods** We used data on 3519 participants from the Czech part of the prospective Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe cohort. Participants reported their depressive symptoms using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale. Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), and Eastern European Diet Score (EEDS), were calculated from a Food Frequency Questionnaire collected at baseline. Growth curve model was used to investigate the longitudinal relationship between adherence to various dietary scores and depressive symptoms. **Results** At baseline, women with high adherence to any of the three dietary scores had significantly lower depressive symptoms compared with those with low adherence (HDI: B=-0.65, 95\% CI [-1.18; -0.12], MDS: -0.56 [-1.01; -0.10], EEDS: -0.88 [-1.37; -0.39]). In terms of longitudinal trajectories among women, depressive symptoms increased over time with similar slopes across low, medium and high adherence groups for HDI and MDS. However, for EEDS, high and medium adherence was associated with steeper slopes compared to low adherence. Depressive symptoms were not consistently associated with dietary patterns in men. **Conclusion** Our results suggest a relationship between adherence to healthy dietary patterns and lower depressive symptoms in Czech older women, while there was little evidence on an association in men. The Eastern European diet and its health impacts should be further evaluated.

Keywords: epression; depressive symptoms; ageing; Mediterranean diet; HAPIEE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 25 pages
Date: 2025-12
Note: License: CC-BY 4.0
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mub:wpaper:2025-08

DOI: 10.5817/WP_MUNI_ECON_2025-08

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