Is there any association between dietary patterns, food security status and psychiatric disorders among Iranian earthquake victims?

BACKGROUND

Diet changes through disasters may affect psychological health as well as general health. The present study aimed to find food security status-that is defined by having enough food for an active, healthy life-dietary patterns and their relationship with probable psychiatric disorders in earthquake survivors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study conducted on 350 women who survived in East Azarbaijan earthquake (At 4:53 am on 11 August 2012). Food frequency questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and food security questionnaire of the US Department of Agriculture were used to assess dietary patterns, psychological and food security status, respectively. P values were considered significant at <0.05.

RESULTS

Four major dietary patterns were defined based on factor analysis. These four dietary patterns explained of 37.09% variation of food intakes. Ten per cent of the population was food secure. There was no significant association between tertiles of major dietary patterns and risk of all psychological disorders (p values>0.05).

CONCLUSION

There was no statistically significant association between major dietary patterns and psychiatric disorders. Further well-designed studies need to find any significant association.