title: Major health-related behaviours and mental well-being in the general population: the Health Survey for England.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major behavioural risk factors are known to adversely affect health outcomes and be strongly associated with mental illness. However, little is known about the association of these risk factors with mental well-being in the general population. We sought to examine behavioural correlates of high and low mental well-being in the Health Survey for England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 13,983 adults, aged 16 years and older (56% females), with valid responses for the combined 2010 and 2011 surveys. Mental well-being was assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). ORs of low and high mental well-being, compared to the middle-range category, were estimated for body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking habits, and fruit and vegetable intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ORs for low mental well-being were increased in obese individuals (up to 1.72, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.36 in BMI 40+ kg/m(2)). They increased in a linear fashion with increasing smoking (up to 1.98, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.53, >20 cigarettes/day) and with decreasing fruit and vegetable intake (up to 1.53, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.90, <1 portion/day); whereas ORs were reduced for sensible alcohol intake (0.78, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.91, ≤4 units/day in men, ≤3 units/day in women). ORs for high mental well-being were not correlated with categories of BMI or alcohol intake. ORs were reduced among ex-smokers (0.81, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.92), as well as with lower fruit and vegetable intake (up to 0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.92, 1 to <3 portions/day).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Along with smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption was the health-related behaviour most consistently associated with mental well-being in both sexes. Alcohol intake and obesity were associated with low, but not high mental well-being.
authors.affiliation: Statistics and Epidemiology Unit, Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stranges
authors.affiliation: Statistics and Epidemiology Unit, Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Preshila Chandimali
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Samaraweera
authors.affiliation: Statistics and Epidemiology Unit, Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Taggart
authors.affiliation: Statistics and Epidemiology Unit, Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Ngianga-Bakwin
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Kandala
authors.affiliation: Statistics and Epidemiology Unit, Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stewart-Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult