Medical and Health Sciences

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11888/18295

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Browsing Medical and Health Sciences by Author "Elewi, Saja"

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    ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SERUM FOLATE LEVELS AND DEPRESSION AMONG ADULT FEMALE STUDENTS AT AN-NAJAH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY IN NABLUS, PALESTINE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
    (An-Najah National University, 2024-07-29) Elewi, Saja
    Background: Depression is considered a major public health concern worldwide. Depression is a prevalent issue among university students compared to the general population. Folate is a B complex group water-soluble vitamin that naturally occurs in food and is essential to the brain for producing norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Previous studies have indicated that levels of folate are crucial in the development and progression of depression. However, the research findings have been inconclusive when it comes to variations in folate levels among people with depression compared to those without the condition. Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationship between serum folate levels and depression among adult female students at An-Najah National University in Nablus, Palestine. Method: This study was conducted with a cross-sectional observational design. A questionnaire was distributed from 15th September 2023 until 20th October 2023 to participating female students from An-Najah National University. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the DASS-21 scale. The questionnaire also collected the social and demographic characteristics of the female students and several questions related to the factors that affect folate levels in the blood. The internal reliability of the DASS-21 questionnaire was tested using Cronbach's alpha. In addition, venous blood samples were collected within the same period in the scientific research laboratory at An-Najah University after overnight fasting, and serum folate levels were measured. The number of female students participating was 180, and their ages varied from 18 to 30 years old. Results: The mean of serum folate levels was 4.82 ng/ml (SD=3.38). The prevalence of depression among them was 16.7%, 47.2%, 14.4% 12.2%, and 9.4% for extremely severe, severe, moderate, mild, and normal depression, respectively. Levels of serum folate were significantly lower in patients with extremely severe and severe depression, the mean was (3.13 and 3.30 ng/ml) respectively. Additionally, there was a significant moderate inverse correlation between the levels of serum folate and depression severity (r=-0.537, P-value<0.001). Conclusion: Our findings showed that there is a connection between the levels of serum folate and depression among female Palestinian students. Folate serum levels may serve as indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of depression treatment. Measuring folate levels can assist physicians in effectively managing depression. In this regard, folate appears to play a more crucial role in the improvement outcomes of mood disorders and should be assessed more attentively. Keywords: Serum folate, depression, lifestyle, diet, clinical characteristics, An-Najah National University, Palestine.