Dataset for publication Nourishing the Brain or the Mood? Dietary Omega-3s for Psychological, but Not Cognitive Health

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dc.abstract.enDataset contains data on the relationship between omega-3 fatty rich foods and omega-3 acid intake (ALA, EPA, DHA) and mental health (mood, perceived stress) and cognitive functioning (recognition and short-term memory) in healthy adults. The data controller was SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland. Questionnaire data were collected and exported via the Qualtrics platform; the computerized cognitive tasks were administered through Pavlovia. Summary of participant characteristics and descriptive statistics: respondents - 313; variables - 206; sex - 274 women, 39 men; age: 20–90 years (mean = 40.30). Study phases: 52 participants completed the second, in-person phase, which added a cognitive screening (MMSE) and an in-depth, in-person dietary interview; the remaining 261 participated in the online Phase 1 only. Two files are provided: the dataset (.xlsx) and a codebook (.xlsx) listing each variable's name, label, type, valid/missing counts, and range or value coding.
dc.affiliationWydział Psychologii w Warszawie
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.contactperson.afilliationUniwersytet SWPS
dc.contactperson.email[email protected]
dc.contactperson.nameAnna Długajczyk
dc.contactperson.roleData Steward SWPS
dc.contributor.authorOrłowski, Jakub
dc.contributor.authorKossowska-Wywiał, Maria
dc.contributor.authorBrzezicka, Aneta
dc.coverage.from2023-06-06
dc.coverage.to2024-06-24
dc.dataset.version1
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-08T09:42:30Z
dc.date.available2026-06-03
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstract<jats:p>Background: Mood disturbances, often accompanied by cognitive deficits, represent a major public health challenge. Diet is increasingly recognized as a modifiable factor in mental health, with specific nutrients such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) showing therapeutic potential. This study investigated whether dietary omega-3 intake moderates variations in cognitive performance associated with psychological symptoms in non-clinical samples. Method: A total of 313 healthy adults completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess dietary intake. Psychological symptoms were measured using the depression screening questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the stress assessment instrument (PSS-10), while cognitive performance, including short-term and episodic memory, was evaluated using Sternberg and Old/New recognition tests. A subgroup of 52 older adults completed a detailed in-person FFQ to enable the precise quantification of EPA, DHA, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) intake. Results: Diets rich in omega 3, particularly nuts, seeds, fish and seafood, were associated with lower depression and stress scores. EPA and DHA, but not ALA, were specifically linked to those mood benefits. However, dietary omega-3 intake was not significantly associated with cognitive performance and did not moderate the relationship between mood and memory. Self-reported omega-3 supplementation was linked to fewer depressive symptoms and better episodic memory. Conclusions: While dietary omega-3 is associated with improved well-being, its role in cognition in healthy adults is not well-established and warrants further investigation.</jats:p>
dc.description.financeorgNational Science Centre Poland (NCN), Grant No. 2021/43/O/HS6/02074
dc.description.grantnumber2021/43/O/HS6/02074
dc.description.issue1
dc.description.volume18
dc.identifier.doi10.58142/swps.omega3.mental.health.dataset
dc.identifier.issn2072-6643
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2389
dc.languageen
dc.language.subjectpl
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.relation.publicationNourishing the Brain or the Mood? Dietary Omega-3s for Psychological, but Not Cognitive Health
dc.rights.originalCC-BY
dc.subject.enomega-3 fatty acids
dc.subject.endietary patterns
dc.subject.endepression
dc.subject.enstress
dc.subject.enmemory
dc.subject.encognition
dc.subject.enhealthy adults
dc.subject.plkwasy tłuszczowe omega-3
dc.subject.plwzorce żywieniowe
dc.subject.pldepresja
dc.subject.plstres
dc.subject.plpamięć
dc.subject.plfunkcje poznawcze
dc.subject.plzdrowi dorośli
dc.submitter.afilliationUniwersytet SWPS
dc.submitter.email[email protected]
dc.submitter.nameJakub Orłowski
dc.submitter.roleWspółpracownik
dc.titleDataset for publication Nourishing the Brain or the Mood? Dietary Omega-3s for Psychological, but Not Cognitive Health
dc.title.journalNutrients
dspace.entity.typeDataset