Risk of mental health disorders among farmers involved in palm plantation occupation.

The aim of this study was to define mental health status of palm plantation farmers in Muar, Johor, Malaysia.47 male farmers volunteered to join this study from three rural districts in southern Malaysia. Anthropometric measurements, demographic data including smoking habits and the short form of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales (DASS-21) to assess mental health status were obtained in an interview.Mean and SD age of participants was 30.17 ± 4.86 years. Mean BMI of subjects was 22.86 ± 3.88 kg/m2. Most subjects (76.6%) were smokers. The prevalence of mild to moderate anxiety was 27.7% and Mild to moderate depression was 8.5%.This study revealed high prevalence of anxiety and smoking in palm plantation workers and that smoking habits can be related to their higher anxiety level.