The Relationship Between Adherence to the MIND Diet and Maternal Anxiety and Sleep Disorders

Afsane Bahrami; Zahra Zamaninasab; Zahra Khorasanchi; Asghar Zarban; Amir Hassan Asadian; Gordon A Ferns; Samira Karbasi

doi:10.1007/s10995-025-04119-1

The Relationship Between Adherence to the MIND Diet and Maternal Anxiety and Sleep Disorders

Matern Child Health J. 2025 Jun 25. doi: 10.1007/s10995-025-04119-1. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Afsane Bahrami^{1

2}, Zahra Zamaninasab³, Zahra Khorasanchi⁴, Asghar Zarban^{5

6}, Amir Hassan Asadian⁷, Gordon A Ferns⁸, Samira Karbasi⁹

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Research Development Unit, Imam Reza Hospita, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
² Clinical Research Development Unit of Akbar Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
⁴ Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
⁵ Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
⁶ Clinical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
⁷ Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran.
⁸ Division of Medical Education, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Falmer, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 9PH, UK.
⁹ Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran. s.karbasi@bums.ac.ir.

PMID: 40562986
DOI: 10.1007/s10995-025-04119-1

Abstract

Objectives: Maternal diet is essential for the mother's and infant's health. Our Study aimed to evaluate the relationship between breastfeeding mothers' psychological distress and the Mediterranean diet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet.

Methods: The data were collected in a cross-sectional survey conducted by the authors in 2021. Psychological parameters were assessed in 350 breastfeeding mothers using the Quality of Life (QL) Questionnaire, Depression Scale, Anxiety Questionnaire, and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) assessed adherence to the MIND diet.

Results: Mothers in the highest tertile of the MIND diet had significantly lower maternal sleep disturbance scores (3.71 ± 3.61 vs. 5.28 ± 3.89; P < 0.001), lower anxiety scores (30.86 ± 7.49 vs. 32.89 ± 7.90; P-value = 0.01) and better maternal mental health (21.58 ± 3.68 vs. 20.76 ± 3.15) compared to those in the lowest tertile. After controlling for potential confounders, adherence to the MIND pattern was associated with less maternal sleep disturbance (β = 0.89; 95%CI: 0.82-0.96).

Conclusions: for practice. Adherence to the MIND diet is potentially associated with less sleep disturbance in breastfeeding mothers.

Keywords: Breastfeeding mothers; DASH diet; MIND diet; Mediterranean diet; Quality of life.