Qualidade de vida de policiais militares : fatores determinantes e relação epigenética do gene BDNF

Abstract

In the context of the numerous challenges and high levels of stress routinely experienced by police officers, this study aims to investigate the association between sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, psychological aspects, and BDNF gene promoter methylation with the quality of life of these professionals. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 166 police officers from the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Validated instruments were used to assess quality of life, symptoms of stress, depression, use of psychotropic medications, and other sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. Statistical analysis included regression multivariate models to identify predictors of quality of life domains and the association between quality of life and BDNF gene methylation. The results indicated that symptoms of stress and depression, use of anxiolytics and antidepressants, sex, and education level were significantly associated with poorer quality of life across different domains. Furthermore, higher levels of BDNF gene methylation were associated with lower scores in the psychological domain. These findings underscore the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to promoting mental health and quality of life among military police officers, as well as the potential use of epigenetic biomarkers in populations exposed to chronic stress conditions