Abstract:
Objectives: The Auckland Birthweight Collaborative (ABC) study is a longitudinal study established to compare the developmental trajectories of full-term children born small for gestational age (SGA) with those born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). As part of this longitudinal study, extensive information was collected regarding the children’s physical and psychological developmental wellbeing as well as their family’s wellbeing. This present study aims to investigate the relationship between the children’s junk, traditional, healthy, and fusion dietary patterns at ages 3.5, 7, 11, and 16 years with their symptoms of depression at 16 years. Methods: Children from the New Zealand birth cohort study were followed up at ages 3.5, 7, 11, and 16 years. Depression scores were successfully collected for 454 participants at 16 years of age using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). Maternal responses collected dietary information to an FFQ at ages 3.5, 7, and 11 years, and 16-year-old participating children responded themselves. Results: At 3.5 years, a higher junk traditional diet score were both significantly associated with higher depression scores on the CES-DC. At 11 and 16 years of age, a fusion diet score was also associated higher depression scores. Higher healthy diet scores at 11 and 16 years of age were significantly associated with lower depression scores. No diets at 7 years were found to be associated with scoring in the moderately to severely depressed range of the CES-DC. Of the control variables included in the analysis, maternal smoking during pregnancy and sex were significantly associated with depression scores. Conclusion: These findings are the first to suggest that the relationship between diet at 3.5 years and symptoms of depression in later life are associated, indicating that this relationship emerges much earlier than found by previous research. To our knowledge this is the first study to explore the effects of a fusion diet on depression scores, Further research is encouraged to explore the effects of a fusion diet.