Measuring Healthy Lifestyle and Mental Health Indicators in South Asian Women Using the “Your Health: Quality of Life and Well-Being” Questionnaire

Abstract

Introduction: Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. A literature review has revealed that there is no specific questionnaire available to assess well-being within the community. Methods: Fifty South Asian women were randomly selected to complete the “Your Health: Quality of Life and Well-being Questionnaire” assessing diet, lifestyle, and mental health among others. Data from the questionnaires was extracted and participants were categorised based on these findings. Results: This tool has positively identified a number of key risk factors for poor health, symptoms associated with mental illness, and the burden of comorbidities within the assessed cohort. Sixty-three percent of the women had an unhealthy body mass index (BMI), over half did not know the maximum limit of salt per day, and almost one-fourth had multiple health conditions. ConclusionsThis questionnaire is an effective tool to use within the community. There is a significant burden of obesity, complicated by poor lifestyle habits and significant mood and anxiety symptoms within the studied South Asian population.

Keywords

• diet
• health promotion
• lifestyle risk factors
• mental health
• public health
• questionnaire
• well-being