Living with parents, lifestyle pattern and common mental disorders in adolescents: a school-based study in Brazil

Mental health conditions represent 16% of the global burden of disease and injury in adolescents. Promotion, protection, and restoring the mental health must be considered indispensable, especially in adolescence. This study aims to verify the association of lifestyle pattern, living with parents and the presence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD) in Brazilian adolescents.

Cross-sectional study that analyzed data from 71,553 adolescents aged 12-17 years, from the Study on Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA), between 2013 and 2014. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to identify lifestyle pattern, and Logistic Regression Models were performed to identify the associations between lifestyle pattern, living with parents, and presence of CMD.

To construct the Common Mental Disorders (CMD) variable, the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire was used. The Pattern of Healthy Lifestyle Practices found was characterized by higher water consumption, lower consumption of ultra-processed foods, the habit of eating breakfast, less exposure time to screens, habit of physical activity, and longer mean sleep time in hours. Adolescents belonging to the second (OR: 0.73; 95% CI 0.65-0.82) and third (OR: 0.44; 95% CI 0.39-0.50) terciles of the pattern, that is, those who had higher belonging to the pattern had lower chances of having CMD. Adolescents who lived with neither parent (OR: 1.44; 95% CI 1.16-1.78) were associated with a higher chance to present CMD.

Living with parents can contribute to better mental health among adolescents. In addition, the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, encouraged by parents and the community, can reduce the chances of CMD in Brazilian adolescents.