title: Socio-demographic factors, behaviour and personality: associations with psychological distress.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anxiety, psychological distress and personality may not be independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease; however they may contribute via their relationship with unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. This study aimed to examine the association between psychological distress, risk behaviours and patient demographic characteristics in a sample of general practice patients aged 40-65 years with at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analytic study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients, randomly selected from general practice records, completed a questionnaire about their behavioural risk factors and psychological health as part of a cluster randomized controlled trial of a general practice based intervention to prevent chronic vascular disease. The Kessler Psychological Distress Score (K10) was the main outcome measure for the multilevel, multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Single-level bi-variate analysis demonstrated a significant association between higher K10 and middle age (p = 0.001), high neuroticism (p = 0), current smoking (p = 0), physical inactivity (p = 0.003) and low fruit and vegetable consumption (p = 0.008). Socioeconomic (SES) indicators of deprivation (employment and accommodation status) were also significantly associated with higher K10 (p = 0). No individual behavioural risk factor was associated with K10 on multilevel multivariate analysis; however indicators of low SES remained significant (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When all factors were considered, psychological distress was not associated with behavioural risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Other underlying factors, such as personality type and socioeconomic status, may be associated with both the behaviours and the distress.
authors: Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia. suzanne.mckenzie1@jcu.edu.au
authors: Suzanne Helen
authors: SH
authors: McKenzie
authors: Upali W
authors: UW
authors: Jayasinghe
authors: Mahnaz
authors: M
authors: Fanaian
authors: Megan
authors: M
authors: Passey
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Lyle
authors: Gawaine Powell
authors: GP
authors: Davies
authors: Mark Ford
authors: MF
authors: Harris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001519:Behavior; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires