title: The Association of Poor Mental Health Status and Sociocultural Factors in Men: A Population-Based Study in Tehran, Iran.
abstract: Mental ill-health has increased among Iranian men in the recent years. Mental health is complexly determined by sociocultural, psychological, demographic characteristics, and some health-risk behaviors such as smoking. This study aimed to explore the association(s) between demographic factors, smoking status, social capital, and poor mental health status in a sample of Iranian men. The data were derived from a survey titled "Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool-2" in Tehran, Iran ( n = 11,064). A multistage sampling method was applied in the study. The General Health Questionnaire-28 was used to assess poor mental health status (range = 0-84, scores higher than 23 indicated poor mental health status). The data were analyzed using t test, chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression. The means of age and family size were 47.14 ± 17.26 years (range = 20-91) and 3.54 ± 1.32 individuals (range = 1-15), respectively. The majority of the participants were employed (57%, n = 6,361). The prevalence of poor mental health was 36.36%, 95% confidence interval (CI) [35.46, 37.26]. The components of social capital were positively associated with poor mental health status. Family size (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.93; 95% CI [0.90, 0.96]), job status (unemployed vs. employed, AOR = 1.34; 95% CI [1.16, 1.55]), marital status (widowed and divorced vs. single, AOR = 1.09; 95% CI [1.02, 1.17]), education level (illiterate vs. academic, AOR = 1.18; 95% CI [1.09, 1.29]), and smoking status (smokers vs. nonsmokers, AOR = 1.46; 95% CI [1.31, 1.62]) were directly associated with poor mental health status in the logistic regression model. These results suggest that social capital could be an important approach for men to attain suitable mental health and reduce mental disorders. The high prevalence of poor mental health in men merits more attention in mental health policy and program planning.
authors.affiliation: 1 Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Jafar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hassanzadeh
authors.affiliation: 2 Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asadi-Lari
authors.affiliation: 1 Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Haleh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghaem
authors.affiliation: 1 Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kassani
authors.affiliation: 3 University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niazi
authors.affiliation: 3 University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran.
authors.forename: Rostam
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D066270:Social Capital; D012924:Social Conditions; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: mental disorders; mental health; smoking status; social capital