Emotional Well-Being and Gluten-Related Disorders in Adolescents

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for emotional well-being, and individuals with gluten-related disorders (GRDs) may face additional psychological challenges. This study aims to explore the relationship between emotional well-being and GRDs in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the DESKcohort project, consisting of a biannual panel survey on health, health behaviours, and associated determinants, collected in secondary education centres. The final analytical sample consisted of 9265 students aged 12 to 18 years. Data were collected from October 2021 to June 2022. The dependent variables relate to emotional well-being and are assessed through a series of mood-related questions. The independent variables included were having GRDs, health behaviours and socioeconomic factors. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to assess the association between the impact of GRDs and emotional states, providing prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Prevalence of adolescents with GRD was 1.15%, with a higher rate in girls (1.51%) compared to boys (0.79%) (p < 0.001). While there were no significant emotional differences between adolescents with and without GRDs overall (p > 0.05), Poisson regression models with robust variance showed that those with digestive symptoms had a significantly higher prevalence of emotional distress, most notably in feeling sad or depressed (PR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.64–3.88) and fatigue (PR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.51–2.38). Conclusions: The presence of digestive symptoms in adolescents with self-reported GRDs is associated with a higher prevalence of emotional distress. Public health strategies should specifically target this symptomatic subgroup to address their psychological and nutritional needs.