Investigating the relationship between plant-based dietary protein indices and depression score in the elderly of Shiraz City: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Depression is an important and common disorder in the elderly. Plant-based dietary patterns are often considered "healthy"and associated with various health benefits. However, the association between plant-based dietary indices and depression is largely ambiguous. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between plant protein indices and depression in the elderly population. In this cross-sectional study, conducted on 80 elderly people living in Shiraz City, food intake information was collected using a 147-item food frequency questionnaire. Plant-based diet index (PDI), healthy PDI (hPDI), and unhealthy PDI (uPDI) were used to assess dietary patterns. Also, depression was evaluated using the Beck Depression questionnaire. A linear regression method in crude and 2 adjusted models was used to investigate the relationship between dietary indicators and depression. P