Lifestyle and Demographic Factors in the Association of Coffee Consumption With Depression and Anxiety: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in China

OBJECTIVES: Increasing evidence emphasizes the association between coffee consumption and various physical conditions, while the research on its impact on mental health remains insufficient. This study aims to explore the association between coffee consumption and the risk of self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms among the Chinese population.

METHODS: We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study in 2020 to assess the correlation between daily coffee consumption and self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms. We measured the levels of depression and anxiety using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales. Ordinal logistic regression models were applied to estimate the associations, adjusting for covariates such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle behaviours. Interaction analyses were further performed to investigate the association among coffee drinkers with varied lifestyle and demographic factors, including nightly sleep duration, weekly working hours, and age.

RESULTS: A total of 17,731 participants have been included in the study. We found an increase in the risk of self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms associated with coffee consumption. The risk of depression was highest at a consumption level of two cups per day (vs. non-coffee drinker, OR 2.080; 95% CI 1.650-2.621, p < 0.001). Similarly, for anxiety, drinking two cups of coffee per day also presented the highest risk (vs. non-coffee drinker, OR 2.441; 95% CI 1.928-3.092, p < 0.001). Interaction analyses indicated that insufficient sleep and long working hours exacerbated the negative impact of coffee on mental health. Additionally, younger age (<30 years old) participants showed a lower risk of self-reported depression and anxiety, compared with older age participants (>=30 years old).

CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates coffee consumption may positively correlates with an increased risk of depression and anxiety in the Chinese population, with variations across demographic and lifestyle factors mediated.