The Association Between Parents’ Lifestyles and Common Psychiatry Disorders in Children and Adolescents: A Population-Based Study

Background: Family habits and the lifestyle of parents play an important role in the mental and social health of children. Objectives: Given the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Iran and the lack of information on the factors associated with these disorders, it is necessary to study the relationship between the lifestyle of parents with common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Methods: The present analytical cross-sectional study was undertaken from 2016 to 2017. A total of 1,022 children and adolescents aged 6 - 18 in Ilam, Iran, were enrolled in the study. The participants were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling from urban and rural areas of the city. Data on children were collected by using a semi-structured interview with the Kiddie-SADS-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) Questionnaire, and the Life Style Questionnaire (LSQ). Using IBM-SPSS software V. 24, the chi-squared test, Student’s t-test, and multivariable logistic regression model were used to analyze the data. Results: There was a significant association between the mental health of parents with separation anxiety disorder (SAD) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.86, P value [P] = 0.01). In addition, significant association was found between physical health (aOR = 1.17, P = 0.04), disease prevention (aOR = 1.22, P = 0.04), spiritual health (aOR = 0.83, P = 0.04), and avoidance of drugs, alcohol, and opiates (aOR = 0.87, P = 0.004) with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with sports and fitness (aOR = 0.82, P = 0.01), social health (aOR = 1.33, P = 0.007), and social phobia with spiritual health (aOR = 0.76, P = 0.04) showed a statistically significant association. Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that the lifestyle of parents is an important determinant in the mental health of children.