Association Between Dietary Vitamin B6 Intake and Depression Among Adults in Lahore, Pakistan: A Cross-sectional Survey

Depressive symptoms are a significant subject of population health around the globe, and nutrition as a determinant of mental health is becoming more accepted as a risk factor that can be modified. Vitamin B6 plays an important role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. The study aimed to examine the association between dietary vitamin B6 intake and depressive symptoms among adults living in Lahore, Pakistan. It was a cross-sectional study among 283 adults aged 18 to 60 years. Dietary intake was measured using the structured FFQ, which was analyzed in Cronometer. The depressive symptoms were measured using the CES-D scale (cut-off ≥ 16). The adjusted multivariable variables included logistic regression variables such as age, sex, BMI, total energy intake, education level, physical activity, vitamin B12, and folate. A total 148 (52.3%) participants were depressed, and 135 (47.7%) participants were non-depressed. Depressed and non-depressed groups showed significant differences in vitamin B6 intake (1.18 ± 0.12 mg/day vs. 2.03 ± 0.20 mg/day; P ˂ 0.001). High levels of vitamin B6 consumption were positively correlated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms (OR per 1 mg/day increase = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55–0.94). Female sex and high BMI correlated positively with depressive symptoms. Adequate intake of dietary vitamin B6 has a negative correlation with depressive manifestations in this population.