PALPITATIONS AND LIFE-STYLE - IMPACT OF DEPRESSION AND SELF-RATED HEALTH - THE NORDLAND HEALTH STUDY

On the basis of a questionnaire in a population study in the county of Nordland, Norway, the prevalence of palpitations and its associations to some lifestyle factors, depression and self-rated health were anal ysed. All the 10,497 residents aged 40 to 42 years were invited to par ticipate, 82% attended, 87% of the attenders returned a questionnaire by mail, and 6436 subjects were included in this report. The prevalenc e of palpitations was 15% in men and 25% in women. Palpitations were s ignificantly associated with coffee consumption, smoking, alcohol into xication, physical inactivity, depression and poor self-rated health i n the univariate analyses. In a logistic regression analysis, the rela tions between palpitations and lifestyle were weakened. Significant pr edictors for palpitations were depression and poor self-rated health i n both sexes, in addition to heavy coffee drinking and physical inacti vity in men and alcohol intoxication in women. In conclusion, palpitat ions were more firmly linked to depression and self-evaluated health t han to lifestyle.