OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of common mental disorders according to sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle and medical conditions among residents of urban areas of Feira de Santana, Bahia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out, including a random sample of the urban population over the age of 15 years of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. We used a form to attain information on sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and disease frequency. The SRQ-20 was used to measure common mental disorders (CMD). Statistical analysis adopted the p< 0.05 significance level; prevalence ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: We studied 3,597 individuals, 71.4% female. The global prevalence of CMD was 29.9%. Data analysis revealed that sociodemographic characteristics (sex, education, income), lifestyle and clinical conditions were associated with the prevalence of CMD. CONCLUSION: The study allowed us to estimate the prevalence of CMD among the urban population of a municipality located in Northeastern Brazil and to identify the characteristics associated with CMD prevalence that may interfere with mental health. In this sense, municipal healthcare policies should include actions aimed to encourage participation in leisure activities as well as campaigns to control smoking and chronic diseases.
Mental health; Urban health; Common mental disorders; SRQ-20
