O-271 the Association Between a Healthy Lifestyle and Mental Health Among Firefighters in Taiwan

Introduction Research linking healthy behaviors and mental health among Asian firefighters is scarce. Therefore, we conducted this study to fill the literature gap. Methods We surveyed firefighters from the Tainan City Government Fire Bureau in May 2023. Forty-one percent of the entire population participated in the study. Those < 18 years old or with missing essential data were excluded. Adherence to a Mediterranean-diet-based healthy lifestyle was assessed using a modified MEDI-Lifestyle score (ranging from 0 to 7). Mental health was measured using the revised and validated Chinese versions of Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care (BDI-PC), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Data collection was done via REDCap, and SAS 9.4 was used for statistical analyses. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU112057AE). Results We analyzed 486 eligible firefighters (88.7% of all consented). After adjusting for age, sex, and living arrangement, we found a 1-point increment in the lifestyle score was associated with a 0.53-point decrement in BDI-PC (95%CI: 0.28-0.79), a 0.75-point decrement in PHQ-9 (95%CI: 0.40-1.11), and a 1.60-point decrement in PCL-5 (95%CI: 0.59-2.60). Additionally, adequate sleep had a significantly negative association with scores on all three screeners (all p < 0.0001). Discussion To our knowledge, our study is the first one showing Asian firefighters’ adherence to a Mediterranean-diet-based healthy lifestyle is associated with better mental health. However, the cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Conclusion Healthy lifestyle is significantly associated with more favorable mental health scores among Taiwanese firefighters.