. 2022 May 2:9:837066.

doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.837066. eCollection 2022.

Higher Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables Is Associated With Lower Worries, Tension and Lack of Joy Across the Lifespan

Simone Radavelli-Bagatini¹, Marc Sim^{1

2}, Lauren C Blekkenhorst^{1

2}, Nicola P Bondonno^{1

3}, Catherine P Bondonno^{1

2}, Richard Woodman⁴, Joanne M Dickson^{1

5}, Craig Harms⁶, Dianna J Magliano^{7

8}, Jonathan E Shaw^{7

9}, Robin M Daly¹⁰, Jonathan M Hodgson^{1

2}, Joshua R Lewis^{1

2

11}

Affiliations

¹ Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
² Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
³ Danish Cancer Society Research Centre (DCRC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁴ Flinders Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
⁵ School of Arts and Humanities (Psychology), Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁶ School of Arts and Humanities, Psychology and Criminology, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁷ Diabetes and Population Health, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁸ Clinical Diabetes and Epidemiology, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁹ School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
¹⁰ School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
¹¹ Centre for Kidney Research, School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Children's Hospital at Westmead, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 35586735
PMCID: PMC9108498
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.837066

Higher Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables Is Associated With Lower Worries, Tension and Lack of Joy Across the Lifespan

Simone Radavelli-Bagatini et al. Front Nutr. 2022.

. 2022 May 2:9:837066.

doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.837066. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
² Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
³ Danish Cancer Society Research Centre (DCRC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁴ Flinders Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
⁵ School of Arts and Humanities (Psychology), Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁶ School of Arts and Humanities, Psychology and Criminology, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁷ Diabetes and Population Health, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁸ Clinical Diabetes and Epidemiology, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
⁹ School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
¹⁰ School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
¹¹ Centre for Kidney Research, School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Children's Hospital at Westmead, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 35586735
PMCID: PMC9108498
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.837066

Abstract

Background and aims: Higher total fruit and vegetable (FV) intakes have been associated with lower perceived stress. However, the relationship of FV intake with domains of perceived stress is unclear. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between consumption of FV and four perceived stress domains (worries, tension, lack of joy and demands) in a population-based cohort of Australian adults.

Methods: Participants (n = 8,640) were men and women aged ≥25 years from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) Study. Dietary intake was assessed using a 74-item validated Food Frequency Questionnaire. Perceived stress domains were determined using a validated 20-item version of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, with higher scores representing higher perceived stress. Cut-offs for high perceived stress domains were obtained from the highest quartiles of each domain for each sex. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression was performed to investigate cross-sectional associations.

Results: The mean age of participants (50.1% females) was 47.8 (SD 15) years. Those with higher intakes of FV, combined and separately, had a significantly lower odds (16-36%) for higher worries, tension and lack of joy, independent of other lifestyle factors.

Conclusion: In Australian adults, higher consumption of FV was associated with lower odds of worries, tension and lack of joy. Following the dietary guidelines for the recommended intake of FV may help improve feelings of worries, tension and lack of joy, which are linked to mental health problems.

Keywords: AusDiab; fruit and vegetable consumption; joy; stress; tension; worries.

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Conflict of interest statement

CB and JH report grants from FruitWest, and from Department of Agriculture and Food WA, outside the submitted work. DM and JS report grants from Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd., Alphapharm Pty Ltd., AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly Australia, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Roche Diagnostics Australia, Sanofi Aventis and Sanofi-synthelabo, during the conduct of the study. RD received a Primary Growth Partnership grant via the Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand with Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd., outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer LY declared a shared affiliation with the author RD to the handling editor at the time of review.

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Higher Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables Is Associated With Lower Worries, Tension and Lack of Joy Across the Lifespan

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Higher Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables Is Associated With Lower Worries, Tension and Lack of Joy Across the Lifespan

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