Mind Matters: Examining the Relationship between Mental Lifestyle Determinants and Muscle Mass

Introduction: There was evidence of a relationship between changes in muscle mass and mental health. Depression, stress, anxiety, sleep quality, and smoking are all aspects of one’s mental lifestyle. The current study aimed to evaluate the relationship between muscle mass and intangible mental lifestyle variables in a population of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences employees. Methods: This study used PERSIAN cohort data from 4572 Mashhad University of Medical Sciences employees aged between 30 to 70 who volunteered for the employee health-monitoring plan. Results: The results showed that factors such as DASS21 (P=0.002, β=-0.047), PSQI (P 0.001, β=-0.064), and smoking (P 0.001, β=-0.207) had a significant negative relationship with skeletal muscle mass index. The structural model of the final hypothesis showed remarkable validity with a high R2. Conclusions: The results demonstrated a strong correlation between skeletal muscle mass and mental lifestyle factors, such as smoking, sleep hygiene, and mental health. In the current study, the most significant relationship is related to smoking.