Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine (정신신체의학)

Korean Psychosomatic Society (한국정신신체의학회)
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Association between Omega Fatty Acid Intake and Suicidality : Sex Differences in the General Korean Population

  • Hur, Yang-Im (Department of Family Medicine, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Jung Hyun (Department of Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Health)
  • Received : 2019.10.29
  • Accepted : 2019.11.19
  • Published : 2019.12.31
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Abstract

Objectives : Epidemiological studies in other countries show that a low intake of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) increases the risk of depression or suicidality. However, no studies have investigated the associations of suicidality with omega-3 FAs in Korea. Hence, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the effects of omega FAs on suicidality in the general South Korean population. Methods : The data in this study were sourced from adults (n=215,860) who completed the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI), and the associations between omega FAs and suicidality were analyzed using multivariate logistic regressions. Results : Our results demonstrated that high omega-3 FA intake was associated with a decreased risk of suicide (OR=0.83, 95% CI : 0.71-0.98) and the high omega-6 to omega-3 FA ratio was associated with an increased risk of suicide (OR=1.25, 95% CI : 1.02-1.54). Additionally, a high intake of omega-3 FAs was associated with a decreased risk of suicide in men, but not in women (OR=0.72, 95% CI : 0.59-0.88). Conclusions : Overall, our findings suggest that a lower intake of omega-3 FA is associated with the increased risk of suicidality in the general Korean population, especially in men.

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