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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests the critical role of diet in shaping mental health outcomes, which are increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents worldwide. This study aims to investigate whether the dietary habits of children in the Italian multicenter Piccolipiù birth cohort at four years of age were associated with anxiety and depression symptoms. This analysis was conducted within the framework of the Global burden of disease Lifestyle And mental Disorder (GLAD) Project (DERR2-10.2196/65576). Methods: Data from 1726 children were analyzed. Emotional symptoms were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Sociodemographic data, including per capita income, were also collected. Associations between food intake (grams per day) and clinical anxiety/depression (T-scores > 70) or total symptom scores were examined using univariate and multivariable logistic and robust linear regressions adjusted for sex and income. Results: In 1726 children (median age 4.4 years; 50% female), 3% exhibited clinical anxiety and 2% clinical depression. Higher grain intake was associated with increased odds of clinical anxiety (OR = 1.004; 95% CI: 1.001–1.007), while greater fish consumption reduced odds of clinical depression (OR = 0.946; 95% CI: 0.903–0.992). Vegetable intake was associated with lower anxiety and depression scores. Multivariable analyses confirmed that grain intake is positively associated with anxiety, while fish consumption is inversely associated with depression. Conclusions: Higher intake of vegetables, fruits, and fish may be associated with better emotional health in preschoolers, although effect sizes were modest. Early dietary interventions may offer a practical approach to improving children’s long-term mental health. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations and clarify underlying mechanisms.

Details

Title
Association Between Diet and Emotional Symptoms in Early Childhood: Cross-Sectional Results from the Piccolipiù Cohort
Author
Concina Federica 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zamagni Giulia 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Maurel Eleonora 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Carletti, Claudia 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Knowles, Alessandra 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Culasso Martina 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Rusconi Franca 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Popovic Maja 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ronfani Luca 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Monasta Lorenzo 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ashtree, Deborah N 5 ; Pani, Paola 1 

 Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health Research Unit, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34137 Trieste, Italy; [email protected] (F.C.); [email protected] (C.C.); [email protected] (A.K.); [email protected] (L.R.); [email protected] (L.M.); [email protected] (P.P.) 
 Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service-ASL ROMA1, 00154 Rome, Italy; [email protected] 
 Department of Mother and Child Health, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, 56121 Pisa, Italy; [email protected] 
 Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; [email protected] 
 IMPACT (The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia; [email protected] 
First page
2909
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20726643
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3254622124
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.