[Health habits of patients with schizophrenia: a general pattern?]

Neuropsychiatr. 2008;22(2):100-11.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Objective: Schizophrenia patients have in many aspects an unhealthier lifestyle than the general population. The aim of this study is to determine if disadvantageous health habits of schizophrenia patients present a general pattern that repeats itself in other regions and if psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia (singleness, unemployment) influence patients' health habits.

Methods: 95 schizophrenia outpatients from Germany and 97 from Austria were examined regarding eating-, drinking-, smoking- and physical-activity habits. Differences in health habits and the influence of psychosocial parameters were examined with regression analyses.

Results: Health habits of schizophrenia patients in Germany and Austria were very similar. Subjects from Austria lived unhealthier only regarding cigarette consumption and grocery choices, while they had a healthier lifestyle regarding physical activity on the weekend. Singleness had no influence on health habits, unemployment was connected with less physical activity on workdays.

Conclusions: Health habits of schizophrenia patients seem to have a general pattern, but psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia explain little about the patients' health habits.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
  • Alcohol Drinking / psychology
  • Austria
  • Exercise / psychology
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Germany
  • Health Behavior*
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Life Style*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pilot Projects
  • Schizophrenia / diagnosis*
  • Schizophrenia / epidemiology
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Smoking / psychology
  • Socioeconomic Factors