Ansiedade, depressão e qualidade de vida de participantes com excesso de peso do Programa Academia da Saúde de Belo Horizonte-MG

Abstract

Excess weight and common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression are public health problems that affect the quality of life of millions of people. The Health Academy Program (HAP) of the Primary Health Care (PHC) of the Unified Health System (SUS) is one of a number of strategies aimed at promoting physical and mental health. However, there is little information on the mental health of participants and its relationship with excess weight and quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the association between anxiety, depression and quality of life in overweight PAS participants in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. This was a cross-sectional study using baseline data from a Community Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) carried out between 2013 and 2014 on a representative sample of 18 PAS units in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Individuals aged ≥20 years were included. Sociodemographic and health data, perceived quality of life and the use of anxiolytic and antidepressant medication were collected. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from weight (kg) and height (m), with overweight defined as BMI ≥25 kg/m². The use of anxiolytic and antidepressant medication was used as an indicator of anxiety and depression. Quality of life was categorized as good/very good/regular vs. poor/very poor. Statistical analysis was carried out in STATA 14.0, using Pearson's chi-square test, Student's t test and Mann-Whitney test, with a significance level of 5%. 3,414 individuals took part in the study, the majority of whom were women (88%) with a median age of 58 years. The prevalence of overweight was 60%. Almost 80% of the participants used some form of medication, and this habit was more frequent among those who were overweight (78.8% vs. 74.3%, p=0.003). The use of antidepressants was higher among overweight individuals (17% vs. 13.5%, p=0.019) when compared to their counterparts, while there was no significant difference in the use of anxiolytics (p=0.465). The majority of participants rated their quality of life as good or very good, with no significant difference between those with and without excess weight (p=0.719). The study revealed that more than half of PAS users are overweight. And that overweight users are more likely to use antidepressants than those who are not overweight. Programs like PAS, which integrate physical and mental care, are fundamental to improving the health of these populations.