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Diet Quality as a Protective Factor Against Stress and Mood Disorders in Military Settings: Nutritional Strategies for Organizational Risk Management
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Mohammad Hossein Mikaeili   , Karim Parastouei * |
| Health Research Center, Lifestyle Research Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , parastouei@gmail.com |
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Abstract: (5 Views) |
Given the high and widespread prevalence of mental health disorders among military personnel, and considering the vital and undeniable role of mental health in enhancing individual performance and organizational effectiveness, addressing the determinants of psychological well-being in this population is of increasing importance. Accordingly, the present study was designed and conducted to rigorously examine the association between diet quality, assessed using the Food Quality Score (FQS), and key psychological indicators including resilience, stress levels, anxiety severity, and depression among 194 selected military personnel.
This cross-sectional study evaluated participants’ diet quality using the validated FQS index. Psychological status was assessed using the well-established Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), providing a comprehensive assessment of both nutritional and mental health status. Data analysis revealed that adherence to a healthy and balanced diet was significantly associated with lower levels of stress and reduced severity of depression. However, the findings indicated that diet quality had no statistically significant effect on anxiety levels or resilience, suggesting that these variables were not directly influenced by nutritional quality in this cohort.
The findings of this study underscore the importance of dietary patterns as both a policy-relevant tool and a protective factor in promoting mental health among military personnel. Specifically, the results suggest that dietary modification may serve as an effective strategy for the management and reduction of stress and depressive symptoms. This approach is not only valuable at the individual level for improving quality of life, but also at the organizational level, where it may contribute to enhanced efficiency, reduced psychological burnout, and improved operational readiness. Therefore, healthy nutrition should be regarded as an integral component of mental health promotion programs for military personnel and afforded a prominent role in related policy-making initiatives.
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| Keywords: Diet quality, Resilience, Military mental health, Depression, Stress, Gut–brain axis |
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Full-Text [PDF 327 kb]
(9 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Policy Brief |
Subject:
Marine Medicine
Received: 2025/12/7 | Accepted: 2026/01/21 | Published: 2026/01/30
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