ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN AN AFRO-DESCENDANT POPULATION

Abstract

Anxiety and depression frequently coexist, compromising quality of life and constituting risk factors for other health conditions. This study analyzed the association between lifestyle habits and the likelihood of anxiety and depression in Black adults from Recôncavo Baiano, Brazil. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study conducted with 503 participants. Data collection included socioeconomic, dietary, lifestyle, and anthropometric measurements. Symptomatic evaluation was performed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and statistical analyses was conductec using Pearson's chi-square test in SPSS v.20.0.0. Results indicated that 14.3% of participants presented with probable anxiety and 36.4% whit possible anxiety; regarding depression, 2.6% showed probable and 28.2% possible disorder. A significant association between anxiety and depression was observed (p < 0.001). Anxiety was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with sex, income, overweight, obesity, hypertension, smoking, physical activity, medication use, and negative affective states such as fear, panic, and nervousness. Depression was associated (p < 0.05) with sex, occupation, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, eating meals in front of screens, medication use, and negative affect. The results demonstrate that lifestyle elements and emotional factors directly influence the mental health of this population. These findings contribute to the early identification of risk behaviors and prevention, reinforcing the need for validation in other sociocultural contexts.