Antidepressant food consumption and its association with depression risk in adolescents: Findings from an urban area of Indonesia

<b>Background:</b> The World Health Organization forecasts that depression will become the world's second most common illness by 2030 and affect people of all ages. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, approximately 1 in 100 people experience depression, with the highest prevalence found in the age group of 15-24 years, at 2%. Adjusting one's diet, as suggested by the Antidepressant Food Score (AFS) list, presents a promising method for managing and addressing depression. <b>Aim:</b> To find out the association between the AFS and depression levels. <b>Methods:</b> This cross-sectional study in Surabaya, Indonesia, included 374 participants aged 15-17 years. Antidepressant food intake was assessed using the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire, while depression levels were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Additionally, social and psychological factors were considered. The data were analyzed using STATA. <b>Results:</b> A significant difference in daily fruit and vegetable consumption was found between adolescents with mild and moderate depression. Those with mild depression had an average AFS of 86.03%, while those with moderate depression had 66.28%. Although the AFS was associated with depression (<i>p</i> = 0.031), it did not have a statistically significant impact on depression levels after adjusting for factors such as age, sex, social support, stress and problem-solving ability (odds ratio = 1.54, 95% confidence interval = 0.94, 2.50). <b>Conclusion:</b> This study identified a statistically significant association between AFS and depression levels. However, after adjusting for other predictors, this association did not remain statistically significant. Future research should focus on developing a more comprehensive database of antidepressant food lists in Indonesia.