Relationship between the combination of polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and psychological distress during pregnancy: The Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study

Abstract

No studies have examined the association of the combination of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and n-6 PUFAs intake with psychological distress during pregnancy. To examine these associations, we divided Japanese pregnant women into 25 groups based on combining quintiles of n-3 PUFAs intake and quintiles of n-6 PUFAs intake. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to assess the risk of psychological distress during pregnancy (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale ≥ 5 or 13). Compared to the third quintile of both n-3 PUFAs and n-6 PUFAs intake, the groups with unbalanced intake, high intake of both, and low intake of both were associated with a higher risk of both Kessler Psychological Distress Scale ≥ 5 and 13 in early and mid-pregnancy. Further research is needed to identify the precise combination of n-3 PUFAs and n-6 PUFAs intake associated with the lowest psychological distress during pregnancy