Objective: The aim of this study was to define mental health status of palm plantation farmers in Muar, Johor, Malaysia.
Materials and methods: 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.
Results: 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%.
Conclusions: 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.