Interaction effects of co-consumption of fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages on psychological symptoms: Evidence from a nationwide survey among Chinese adolescents

Highlight：中国第一个全国性的关于快餐与含糖饮料和青少年心理症状之间关系的研究，明确了与心理健康问题横断面相关。

Abstract

Background: Although fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages)SSBs)consumption have been closely linked to childhood and adolescent obesity, the data regarding their co-consumption and relationship to mental health remains controversial.

Methods: A multi-centered population-based survey was conducted among Chinese adolescents from grades 7 to 12. Data about participants’ consumption of fast foods and SSBs were obtained from self-reported questionnaires. Psychological symptoms were assessed using the Multi-dimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescents)MSQA). The association between co-consumption of fast food and SSBs and psychological symptoms was assessed using quantile regression analysis, adjusting for covariates.

Results: Approximately one-fifth of the 14,500 participants reported psychological symptoms. The regression coefficient)β)value increased as the quantile of fast food, SSBs, and co-consumption increased in the quantile regression model, and the model had an excellent goodness-of-fit)F＝192.51, P＜0.001). In the interaction model, fast food and SSBs in combination were associated with greater odds of psychological symptoms)aOR ＝ 1.90, 95% CI: 1.69, 2.12). The synergy index, relative excess risk of interaction, and attributable proportions were 1.86)95% CI: 1.17, 2.96), 0.4)95% CI: 0.20, 0.63), and 0.22)95% CI: 0.11, 0.33), respectively.

Limitations: Information bias is inevitable in self-reported data among participants. The ability to assess causal relationships is reduced by a cross-sectional study design.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that co-consumption of fast food and SSBs was cross-sectionally associated with mental health problems among adolescents.

Xu H, Wu X, Wan Y, Zhang S, Yang R, Wang W, Zeng H, Geng M, Dou L, Zhang G, Xu H, Tao F*. Interaction effects of co-consumption of fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages on psychological symptoms: Evidence from a nationwide survey among Chinese adolescents. J Affect Disord, 2020, 276:104-111.