The Association Between Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in University Students: The Mediating Role of Lean Mass and the Muscle Strength Index.

ABSTRACT:

Background/objectives

recent studies have suggested that components typical of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) are associated with depression and anxiety prevention. In this sense, the main objective of this study was to analyse the associations between adherence to the MedDiet and depression and anxiety symptoms and to examine whether this relationship is mediated by lean mass and the muscle strength index (MSI).

Methods

a cross-sectional study (based on data obtained from the Nuts4Brain-Z study) was conducted from 2023-2024, involving 428 university students, aged 18-30 years, from a Spanish public university. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and anxiety was assessed via the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) tool. Adherence to the Med

SUBMITTER: Alfaro-Gonzalez S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11768187 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature