175 Determinants associated with the risk of poor mental health in foreigners living in a Spanish Mediterranean region

Abstract EP3.5, e-Poster Terminal 3, September 5, 2025, 13:05 - 13:30 Aims Changing one’s country of residence can sometimes create stressful situations that affect mental health. We estimated the prevalence of poor mental health risk of the resident foreign-born population in the Valencian Community, a region on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, and analysed the socio-economic and health status factors that are related to the risk of poor mental health by sex. Methods Cross-sectional study based on a sample of 1.332 foreign-born residents over 15 years of age collected from the Health Interview Survey of the Valencian Community 2022. The risk of poor mental health was assessed via Goldberg’s questionnaire (GHQ). Prevalences of poor mental health (GHQ+) were calculated overall and by sex for each category of explanatory variables (demographics, socioeconomic status, health status and lifestyle). Logistic regression was used to estimate the Odds Ratios and confidence intervals of association between variables for the total and separately by sex. Results The prevalence of poor mental health in the foreign population was 40.6% (40.1% in men and 41.0% in women). In men, being at risk of poor mental (GHQ+) health was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with having low income (OR = 1.64), being born in Latin America (OR = 2.03), having an inadequate level of health literacy (OR = 2.22) and being a non-smoker (OR = 1.82); while in women the association was found to be related to having an inadequate level of health literacy (OR = 2.37) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1,39). Conclusions The foreign population has a high risk of poor mental health. Differences in the determinants of poor mental health between men and women have been found. These results could contribute to the establishment of programmes that address raising the level of health literacy among foreigners. It is necessary to continue to monitor changes and associated factors that may be explaining different mental ill health outcomes among the foreign population.