= 4) were excluded from the dataset. Moreover, participants with the presence of cognitive impairment at baseline were excluded due to the higher possibility of recall bias. It was examined through the mini-mental state examination in the cognitive function section within the questionnaire, with a lower score indicating a poorer cognitive function.
]. Our purpose was to identify participants with mild to severe depressive symptoms in the elderly. Therefore, a cut-off score of five or more was used to define depressive symptoms in this study.Egg consumption at baseline was regarded as an exposure variable.