Objective:

To examine the association between socioeconomic status and various health outcomes including anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and quality of life among Brazilian adults living in areas of moderate social vulnerability.

Approach:

• Study Design: Cross-sectional study conducted at Santo Amaro University, Sao Paulo, Brazil, involving interviews and anthropometric measurements.
• Participants: 299 adults aged over 17 years living in areas classified as moderate social vulnerability.
• Data Collection: Semi-structured interviews captured sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, medications, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and quality of life.

Key Findings:

• 8% of participants had moderate–severe depressive symptoms.
• 7% had moderate–severe anxiety symptoms.
• Approximately 50% showed increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
• Poor quality of life affected 4–12% across different domains, with no statistically significant differences across socioeconomic status.

Interpretation:

Mental health, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and quality-of-life indicators were similar across socioeconomic strata among Brazilian adults living in moderate social vulnerability, with no significant differences observed.

Limitations:

• Findings may not be generalizable to individuals from higher socioeconomic statuses.
• Study design is cross-sectional, limiting causal inferences.

Conclusion:

The study indicates that within a moderately vulnerable population, socioeconomic status does not significantly influence mental health and quality of life indicators.