Fruit and Vegetable Intake Inversely Correlates with Inattention Severity in a Pediatric Population with ADHD Symptoms: the MADDY Study

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2022.2071805

Commentary

This study was a cohort study of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which has a recent pediatric prevalence rate of approximately 10%, and diet as it relates to symptom severity.

The study's methodology was based on 134 children aged 6-12 years with ADHD and ED symptoms enrolled in an RCT of hyperactivity nutritional supplements for baseline data, and dietary quality was based on the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015). For ADHD and ED symptoms, the questionnaire used in the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory was used to adjust for covariates and find associations in a linear regression model.

The results showed that based on the mean HEI total score of 63.4 (SD = 8.8), there was no significant association between symptoms and outcomes. However, when adjusting for covariates, the HEI component scores for total fruit intake (β = -0.158, p = .037) and total vegetable intake (β = -0.118, p = .004) showed a negative correlation with inattention.

These findings were intended to suggest that there may be an effect on diet and symptoms such as inattention in children with ADHD and ED. However, caution should be exercised in interpretation of these conclusions, as they are based on a small sample.