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Access Type
Open Access
Document Type
thesis
Degree Program
Public Health
Degree Type
Master of Science (M.S.)
Year Degree Awarded
2011
Month Degree Awarded
May
Keywords
Depression, vitamin D, epidemiology, cross-sectional
Abstract
Approximately 15 million Americans are diagnosed with a major depressive disorder each year, with higher rates among women and college-aged adults. Recent research suggests a vitamin D insufficiency may be associated with an increased risk of depression among the elderly. However, studies have not been conducted among young women. A recent study of young adults in Massachusetts suggests that two-thirds of this population is vitamin D deficient. We evaluated the association between dietary vitamin D intake and serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D3) and history of depression using data from the UMass Vitamin D Status Study, a cross-sectional study of 237 college-aged women. Information on depression and health-related factors was collected by questionnaire at a single clinic visit. Dietary vitamin D intake was assessed by a Food Frequency Questionnaire, and serum 25(OH)D3 levels were assessed in fasting blood samples by radioimmunoassay. In multivariable analyses, we observed the suggestion of an association between vitamin D from food sources and history of depression. For each 100 IU/day increase of dietary vitamin D there is a 13% decreased risk of depression (95% CI: 0.6, 1.2). However, total vitamin D intake (foods and supplements combined) was not associated with history of depression. Compared to women in the lowest tertile (median=51 nmol/L) of serum 25(OH)D3, women in the second tertile (median=72 nmol/L) had an 82% decreased risk of depression (95% CI: 0.04, 0.90; ptrend=0.008). The results of this study are consistent with vitamin D as a modifiable risk factor for depression and may inform intervention studies among college-aged women.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/1937456
First Advisor
Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson