Abstract
Diet, dietary practices and exercise are modifiable risk factors for individuals living with mental distress. However, these relationships are intricate and multilayered in such a way that individual factors may influence mental health differently when combined within a pattern. Additionally, two important factors that need to be considered are gender and level of brain maturity. Therefore, it is essential to assess these modifiable risk factors based on gender and age group. The purpose of the study was to explore the combined and individual relationships between food groups, dietary practices and exercise to appreciate their association with mental distress in mature men and women. Adults 30 years and older were invited to complete the food–mood questionnaire. The anonymous questionnaire link was circulated on several social media platforms. A multi-analyses approach was used. A combination of data mining techniques, namely, a mediation regression analysis, the K-means clustering and principal component analysis as well as Spearman’s rank–order correlation were used to explore these research questions. The results suggest that women’s mental health has a higher association with dietary factors than men. Mental distress and exercise frequency were associated with different dietary and lifestyle patterns, which support the concept of customizing diet and lifestyle factors to improve mental wellbeing.
Highlights
Interdisciplinary research on mental distress and lifestyle suggests that diet, dietary practices and exercise are modifiable risk factors that are associated with mental wellbeing [1]
Mental distress positively correlated with high glycemic index (HGI) and fast food (p < 0.001) as well as caffeine (p < 0.05), and inversely associated with exercise, breakfast, fruits, dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) and fish (p < 0.001)
There was a strong association between consumption of one healthy food group with most other food groups, and exercise was associated with eating a spectrum of nutrient-rich food
Summary
Interdisciplinary research on mental distress and lifestyle suggests that diet, dietary practices and exercise are modifiable risk factors that are associated with mental wellbeing [1]. Imaging studies describe the morphological differences in the gender brain [3,4,5,6] and propose a connection with brain functionality [7]. These structural variations may require a differential repertoire of nutrients and lifestyle factors for optimal brain function. The brain completes its development between the mid–late 20s [8], and post-maturity is typically linked to slow brain aging
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