Dietary behaviors are associated with anxiety and depression of high school girls

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between depression, anxiety and dietary behaviors among Korean high school girls. The subjects were 1922 high school students in Seoul and Daejeon, Korea. The data was collected through self‐reported questionnaires which included general characteristics, dietary intake, Bulimia (Bulimia Test‐R), depression and anxiety assessment (HADS). Twenty nine percent of the girls had depression disorder (mild 20.3%, moderate 8.1%, and severe 1.3%) and 42% of the subjects showed anxiety disorder (mild 22.1%, moderate 15.3%, severe 4.6%). The proportion of girls with smoking, alcohol drinking, low appetite, and skipping breakfast were significantly higher among those who had anxiety and depression disorder (p<0.001). Anxiety and depression scores were positively correlated with intake frequency of soda and fast food but negatively associated with vegetable and fruit intakes (p<0.001). In summary, the prevalence of anxiety and depression disorder was high among Korean girls and associated with unhealthy dietary pattern. Mental health care programs are necessary for better dietary behaviors of girl adolescents. (This work was supported by the Brain Korea 21 Project in 2009.)