title: The mental health status and associated factors affecting underprivileged Iranian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of mental disorders in Iran approximates to that of other countries. This study evaluates mental health status and its related factors among underprivileged women in Shiraz, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research was conducted between June, 2010 and November, 2012, and comprised 2108 women who participated in the Shiraz Women's Health Cohort Study. The questionnaire used in the study was completed by trained general practitioner and included demographic information and the 28-item version of the General Health. The t-test, chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression model were used for statistical analysis. A P-value <0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the participants was 49.7±10.6 years. According to the General Health Questionnaire, the most prevalent mental disorder was social dysfunction observed in 1643 (77.9%) participants followed by somatic symptoms found in 1308 (62%) subjects. Mental disorders were most prevalent among married women (63.8%, P=0.004). Participants holding high school diploma or university degree (141; 52.4%) comprised the smallest proportion of subjects with mental disorders (P=0.01). Of a total 265 participants whose husband were in prison, 171 (64.5%) exhibited mental disorders, presenting the greatest proportion of women with mental disorders. Logistic regression analysis showed an association between mental health status and participants' level of education, number of children and marital status, based on the General Health Questionnaire total score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed a considerably higher prevalence of mental disorders among Iranian women in comparison with the general population. Therefore policymakers should pay greater attention to the mental health status of underprivileged Iranian women.
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: najmeh.maharlouei@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Najmeh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maharlouei
authors.affiliation: Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: hoseinzadeh_amin@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoseinzadeh
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: piraclass@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Esmaeil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghaedsharaf
authors.affiliation: College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: hossein.zolfi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hosein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zolfi
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: parisa_arab@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arab
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: Zahra_farahmand2011@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Farahmand
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: mahbanoo.mj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mahbanoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallaj
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: Sh_fazilat66@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fazilat
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: heidaryt@sums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Sayed Taghi
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Heidari
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: joulaei_h@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Joulaei
authors.affiliation: College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: fatemeh.karbalaie@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karbalaie
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: lankaran@sums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Kamran B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lankarani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008603:Mental Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Associated factors; General Health Questionnaire-28; Iran; Mental health status