Factores asociados al autorreporte del bienestar mental o emocional del hombre en Chile

OBJECTIVE: Determine factors associated with the mental and emotional well-being of men in Chile. METHODS: Cross-sectional analytic study in men aged 15 years and older in Chile. Data from the National Survey on Quality of Life and Health 2015-2016 (ENCAVI) were used. The variables of interest were: perception of emotional and mental well-being, and self-reporting of depression or anxiety. The prevalence of each of these variables was estimated and logistic regression was used to evaluate their association with sociodemographic factors, habits, and health. RESULTS: Mental well-being or emotional health was perceived as being “less than good” by 22.6% of men (CI95%: 20.3%-25.0%), while 4.9% (CI95%: 3.8%-6.4%) reported medically diagnosed depression. Perceived poor emotional well-being was associated with reporting less than good sexual satisfaction, with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.42 (CI95%: 3.40-5.76), followed by poor quality of sleep and less social support than desired. Similar results were found in men who self-reported depression or anxiety; in this group, the highest probability of these results was associated with less than good quality of sleep, the presence of at least one chronic disease, and low sexual satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The principal factor associated with self-reporting of mental or emotional well-being was dissatisfaction with sexual activity. This result suggests that masculine identity is linked with sexual performance. It is necessary to continue investigating men's health and provide guidance for health policy initiatives.