TY - JOUR
T1 - Intake of B vitamins in childhood and adult life in relation to psychological distress among women in a British birth cohort
AU - Mishra, Gita D
AU - McNaughton, Sarah A
AU - O'Connell, Maria
AU - Prynne, Celia J
AU - Kuh, Diana
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Background - Lower levels of B vitamins (particularly folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6) may be associated with psychological distress. Little is known about the impact of childhood nutrition on psychological distress in adult life.
Objective - We investigated whether prospectively measured childhood and adult dietary intakes of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 were related to the psychological distress of women in mid-age, taking into account socio-economic, behavioural and lifestyle factors.
Design - Prospective data were collected from a cohort of 636 British women followed up since their birth in 1946. Participants completed a 28-item, scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to measure psychological distress at age 53 years. Dietary intakes in childhood (at age four) were determined by 24h recall and in adulthood (at age 36, 43 and 53 years) by a 5d food record.
Results - Low dietary vitamin B12 intake at age 53 was associated with higher psychological distress at that age. Women in the lowest third of vitamin B12 intake in adulthood had a higher GHQ-28 score compared with those in the highest third (percentage change, adjusted regression coefficient, 21 (95% CI 3, 39)). There were no other significant associations between dietary B vitamin intake in childhood or adulthood and psychological distress in the cohort.
Conclusions - Overall, there is evidence that intake of vitamin B12 at age 53 is related to adult psychological distress but there is no evidence for the effects of other adult B vitamin intakes or childhood intakes on psychological distress.
AB - Background - Lower levels of B vitamins (particularly folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6) may be associated with psychological distress. Little is known about the impact of childhood nutrition on psychological distress in adult life.
Objective - We investigated whether prospectively measured childhood and adult dietary intakes of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 were related to the psychological distress of women in mid-age, taking into account socio-economic, behavioural and lifestyle factors.
Design - Prospective data were collected from a cohort of 636 British women followed up since their birth in 1946. Participants completed a 28-item, scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to measure psychological distress at age 53 years. Dietary intakes in childhood (at age four) were determined by 24h recall and in adulthood (at age 36, 43 and 53 years) by a 5d food record.
Results - Low dietary vitamin B12 intake at age 53 was associated with higher psychological distress at that age. Women in the lowest third of vitamin B12 intake in adulthood had a higher GHQ-28 score compared with those in the highest third (percentage change, adjusted regression coefficient, 21 (95% CI 3, 39)). There were no other significant associations between dietary B vitamin intake in childhood or adulthood and psychological distress in the cohort.
Conclusions - Overall, there is evidence that intake of vitamin B12 at age 53 is related to adult psychological distress but there is no evidence for the effects of other adult B vitamin intakes or childhood intakes on psychological distress.
U2 - 10.1017/S1368980008002413
DO - 10.1017/S1368980008002413
M3 - Article
VL - 12
SP - 166
EP - 174
JO - Public Health Nutrition
JF - Public Health Nutrition
SN - 1368-9800
IS - 02
ER -