Lifestyle and mental health

Study objective To examine the relationship between healthy lifestyles and self-rated mental health. Design A cross-section telephone survey involving multiple callbacks. Using a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, information about lifestyle, demographic characteristics, and self-rated mental health was collected. Setting Amarillo, Texas, a city of approximately 170,000 in the Panhandle of Texas. Participants Six hundred and twenty-one adults. Main Results Good mental health was independently associated with physical activity, being male, and being married. Poor mental health was associated with obesity, daily smoking, being Hispanic, and being non-Hispanic White. Conclusions Programs targeting risk factors for poor physical health also may improve mental health in the community.