A study of the association between cognitive abilities and dietary intake in young women

Abstract

Background: Cognitive abilities comprise activities that relate to receiving and responding to information from the environment, internal processing, making complex decisions, and then responding to this in the context of behavior. Aim: The current study investigated the association between dietary intake and seven aspects of cognitive abilities among healthy young women. Methods: The study was carried out among 182 women aged 18–25 years. A valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire containing 65 food items was used to estimate dietary intake. Neuropsychological function and cognitive abilities of participants were determined using standard questionnaires. Results: Significant differences were found in depression, anxiety, stress, physical, and mental health-related quality of life as well as daytime sleepiness for the participants in different quartiles of cognitive abilities score ( p<0.05). Participants in the fourth quartile of cognitive abilities score consumed significantly higher energy, carbohydrate, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, thiamin, and riboflavin compared to those in the lowest quartile ( p<0.05). There were strong correlations between total cognitive abilities score and dietary sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and thiamin ( p<0.05). Using stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, iron and thiamin were statistically significant factors for the prediction of cognitive abilities. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that neurocognitive function is related to dietary macro and micronutrients including energy, carbohydrate, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, thiamin, and riboflavin on cognitive performance among young women without memory deficit.