Diet and Depression during Peri- and Post-Menopause: A Scoping Review Protocol

The aim of the proposed scoping review is to describe and summarize studies assessing the associations between diet-related variables and depression in peri- and post-menopausal women. Studies examining the associations between diet-related variables and mental health indicators in women undergoing menopausal transition or in the post-menopausal period will be systematically retrieved via Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. All articles identified through the database searches will be imported into Covidence. Following the removal of duplicates, two authors will independently perform title and abstract screening, as well as full-text assessment against eligibility criteria. Data will be extracted using tables developed for observational and experimental studies. The methodological quality of randomized trials, cohort and cross-sectional studies, and case–control studies, will be assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB-2) tool, the NHLBI Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies, and the NHLBI Quality Assessment Tool for Case–Control studies, respectively. Data extraction tables will be used to produce two tables summarizing the main characteristics and findings of the studies included in the review. In the proposed review, we will systematically identify and summarize the currently available evidence on the association between diet-related variables and depression in peri- and post-menopausal women. To our knowledge, this is the first review focusing on this subgroup of the population. Protocol registration: osf.io/b89r6.