Relationships of Self-Reported Physical Health, Sociability, and Spiritual Life with Mental Health: An Investigation According to Gender and Life Stage

Abstract

To investigate the relationships of self-reported physical health, social and spiritual satisfactions with subjective mental health according to gender and life stage. Self-reported questionnaires with questions regarding subjective health status and lifestyles were sent to 1905 community residents aged 20 years or older selected by random sampling in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Subjective mental health, physical health, social and spiritual satisfactions as measures of subjective health status were assessed using a visual analogue scale. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between the subjective mental health and the other three components of the subjective health status with adjustment for life style factors related to the subjective mental health in the subjects without missing values of relevant factors (n=1,752). The subjects were divided into three life stages depending on their ages: young (20-39), middle (40-59), and old (60 or more). Overall, the poor statuses of the three components, namely, physical health, social and spiritual satisfactions, were significantly associated with poor mental health in both genders at any life stage. However, detailed analysis revealed some interesting characteristics. In young men, social dissatisfaction was strongly associated with poor mental health whereas spiritual dissatisfaction in addition to social dissatisfaction was strongly associated with poor mental health in young women. In the middle aged group, both social and spiritual dissatisfactions were strongly associated with poor mental health in both genders. On the other hand, poor physical health status was strongly associated with poor mental health in the old aged group. These results suggest the importance of the mental health interventions under consideration for each life stage and gender.