Actas Españolas de Psiquiatría
Anxiety Symptoms Assessed by the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale, Lifestyle Habits, and Cardiometabolic Risk in Spanish Workers
By Lucía Garrido Sepúlveda, Pedro Juan Tárraga López, María Teófila Vicente-Herrero and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
Anxiety has been increasingly recognized as a relevant contributor to cardiometabolic dysfunction through neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and behavioral mechanisms. However, evidence evaluating the relationship between anxiety symptoms, lifestyle habits, and cardiometabolic risk in large occupational populations remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the association between Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (GADS) scores, lifestyle behaviors, and cardiometabolic risk factors in a large cohort of Spanish workers.
Methods
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 119,336 Spanish workers undergoing routine occupational health examinations between 2021 and 2023. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the GADS. Lifestyle variables included smoking status, physical activity assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and adherence to the Mediterranean diet evaluated through the Prevention with Mediterranean Diet (PREDIMED) questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, lipid profile, fasting glucose, obesity, abdominal obesity, and metabolic syndrome were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for cardiometabolic abnormalities according to anxiety status and lifestyle factors.