Association Between Diet and Emotional Symptoms in Early Childhood: Cross-Sectional Results from the Piccolipiu Cohort.

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.

SUBMITTER: Concina F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12472278 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature