Public Health Commons^™

Gut Feelings: A Literature Review On The Gut-Brain Axis And Its Potential Influence On Mood, Grace Johnson

University Honors Theses

In recent decades, research on the gut-brain axis has evolved due to an increasing interest in the connection between gut health and mental health. The gut-brain axis presents a new frontier of health for both medical professionals and psychologists as there is expanding evidence illustrating the comorbidity of gut disorders and mood disorders. Due to the complex nature of studying the gut-brain axis and the myriad of influences on mood disorders such as depression, research has yet to find significant results definitively tying the two together. Nonetheless, the current body of literature on the topic provides a promising outlook on …

Food Insecurity, Social Networks And Symptoms Of Depression Among Men And Women In Rural Uganda: A Cross-Sectional, Population-Based Study, Jessica M. Perkins, Viola N. Nyakato, Bernard Kakuhikire, Alexander C. Tsai, Sv Subramanian, David Bangsberg, Nicholas A. Christakis

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: To assess the association between food insecurity and depression symptom severity stratified by sex, and test for evidence of effect modification by social network characteristics.

Design: A population-based cross-sectional study. The nine-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale captured food insecurity. Five name generator questions elicited network ties. A sixteen-item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist for Depression captured depression symptom severity. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between food insecurity and depression symptom severity while adjusting for potential confounders and to test for potential network moderators.

Setting: In-home survey interviews in south-western Uganda. Subjects: All adult residents …