Objective: To describe the diet and exercise habits among persons with severe mental illnesses including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and major depression. Methods: A random sample of 200 consenting patients (mean age=44 ± 9 years) equally divided among the above diagnoses with 50% each from suburban and urban mental health clinics, participated in a survey of health behaviors and use of health services. Measures were drawn from national probability surveys including the NHIS and NHANES. Results: A greater proportion of patients with affective disorders (72%) than patients with schizophrenia disorders (56%) reported wanting to weigh less (p<.05). Overall, 58% of patients reported trying to lose weight in the last year; no group differences were observed. Only 18% of patients reported changing their eating habits due to being obese or overweight. Over half of patients report that they are less active now than a year ago and are less active than others their own age. The types of exercise reported by more than 10% of patients include walking (46%), dancing (12%), "exercise" (20%), gardening (17%), and lifting weights (11%). Discussion: These findings demonstrate a high number of reported weight problems and limited exercise among persons with severe mental illness. Results also show that appropriate methods of weight loss need to be explored.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant should be able to 1) recognize the prevalence of weight-related problems among persons with SMI and 2) recognize the factors related to weight-loss difficulty among persons with SMI.
Keywords: Mental Illness, Primary Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None