(P27-010-23) Total Dairy, Milk and Yogurt Intakes Are Inversely Associated With Anxiety and Depression Parameters

Objectives: To determine whether total dairy and individual dairy products are associated with anxiety and depression in adults.

Methods: Adult subjects from various National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles were utilized (NHANES 2005-2018, 2001-2018, 2001-2004). Measures of depression used the depression screening score, a validated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition tool. Anxiety variables were measured using questions focused around panic attacks. Additionally, individual questions from the NHANES Mental Health Depression and Mental Health Panic Disorder questionnaires addressing the impact of depression and anxiety were utilized. FPED dairy variables were used to define total dairy, milk, cheese, and yogurt intakes. Regression analyses were conducted to assess associations by quartiles of total dairy, milk, and yogurt intake and significance was set at p< 0.05.

Results: Total dairy was inversely related to level of depression (-0.02 ± 0.01 pts; maximum of 5 pts) and panic attack effect (-0.10 ± 0.04 pts; maximum of 4 pts), whereas milk was inversely associated with level of depression (-0.02 ± 0.01 pts) and depression screening score (-0.07 ± 0.03 pts; maximum of 27 pts). For yogurt, inverse relationships were observed between intake and level of depression (-0.02 ± 0.01 pts), depression screen score (-0.09 ± 0.04 pts), panic attack effect (-0.11 ± 0.03 pts), panic attack in the last 12 months (-0.05 ± 0.01 pts; maximum of 1 pt) and number of months worried or tense in the past year (-0.19 ± 0.08 pts; maximum of 12 pts). No associations were observed between mental health variables analyzed and cheese intake. For all associations observed, the impact on mental health variables was small, ranging from -4.8 to -0.4% changes across quartiles of intake, with yogurt having the largest impact. Additionally, the association between depression and anxiety variables and dairy product intakes was not consistent, for example depression screening scores are not associated with all dairy variables.

Conclusions: Several inverse associations were observed between total dairy intake and individual dairy products and mental health variables. Further research is warranted to determine whether dairy intake benefits mental health in a clinical setting.

Funding Sources: This study was supported by the National Dairy Council.