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. 2022 May 9;41(1):18.
doi: 10.1186/s41043-022-00300-2.

Is vegetarianism related to anxiety and depression? A cross-sectional survey in a French sample

Laurent Bègue  1 , Rebecca Shankland  2
Affiliations

Is vegetarianism related to anxiety and depression? A cross-sectional survey in a French sample

Laurent Bègue et al. J Health Popul Nutr. .

Abstract

Objective: The relationship between vegetarianism and mental health is controversial. The aim of the present study is to examine the cross-sectional association between anxiety, depression, and vegetarianism in a French sample while controlling for potential confounders.

Design: Self-reported questionnaire data were obtained from a large cross-sectional sample.

Participants and setting: We included an online sample of 6578 participants aged 18-90, 70.8% females.

Results: Analyses of variance with age, gender, body mass index (BMI), educational level, monthly income, and city size as covariates showed that vegetarians and non-vegetarians did not appear to have significantly different levels of anxiety or depression.

Conclusion: Our findings do not suggest a link between plant-based diet and anxiety or depression, either before or after adjustment for relevant factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors do not declare any competing interests.

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