Participation in Leisure Activities: Is It a Protective Factor for Women's Mental Health?

The hypothesis that participation in leisure activities is a protective factor for women's mental health was evaluated in a community-based cross-sectional study of a poor neighborhood in the city of Salvador, Brazil. Female adult workers (n = 552) were interviewed from 470 randomly selected families. Participation in leisure activities is defined as any reported engagement in leisure activities during days off in the month preceding the interview. Scores from a validated mental morbidity instrument were used to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression. A negative association between participation in leisure activities and several anxiety/depression symptoms was found among women reporting no job satisfaction and low family income (Prevalence Ratio = 0.27; 95% Confidence Interval from 0.09 to 0.88). Participation in leisure activities may help maintain mental health under adverse life conditions.