Exploring the association between whole blood Omega-3 Index, DHA, EPA, DHA, AA and n-6 DPA, and depression and self-esteem in adolescents of lower general secondary education.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:Depression is common in adolescents and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are suggested to be associated with depression. However, research in adolescents is limited. Furthermore, self-esteem has never been studied in relation to LCPUFA. The objective here was to determine associations of depression and self-esteem with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Omega-3 Index (O3I), n-6 docosapentaenoic acid (n-6 DPA, also called Osbond acid, ObA), n-3 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and arachidonic acid (AA) concentrations in blood of adolescents attending lower general secondary education (LGSE). METHODS:Baseline cross-sectional data from a krill oil supplementation trial in adolescents attending LGSE with an O3I???5% were analysed using regression models built with the BayesFactor package in R. Fatty acids and O3I were determined in blood. Participants filled out the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSE). RESULTS:Scores indicative of depression (CES-D???16) were found in 29.4% of the respondents. Of all fatty acids, we found extreme evidence [Bayes factor (BF)?>?100] for a weak negative association between ObA and depression score [-?0.16; 95% credible interval (CI) -?0.28 to -?0.04; BF10?=?245], and substantial evidence for a weak positive association between ObA and self-esteem score (0.09; 95% CI, -?0.03 to 0.20; BF10?=?4). When all fatty acids were put in one model as predictors of CES-D or RSE, all of the 95% CI contained 0, i.e., no significant association. CONCLUSION:No evidence was found for associations of DHA, EPA and O3I with depression or self-esteem scores in LGSE adolescents with O3I???5%. The associations of higher ObA status with lower depression and higher self-esteem scores warrant more research.

SUBMITTER: van der Wurff ISM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6561989 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature