Estilo de vida em pacientes com esquizofrenia: avaliação dos padrões alimentares e de atividade física e suas associações com variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas

Abstract

Patients with severe psychiatric illnesses, particularly schizophrenia, have high rates of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. These high rates are explained by the unhealthy lifestyle of these patients, including inadequate dietary and physical activity patterns. Although the association between an unhealthy lifestyle and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is widely known, the literature on schizophrenic patients still lacks studies. Objectives: To evaluate the lifestyle of patients with schizophrenia and its association with other sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods: Sociodemographic data, lifestyle habits, psychiatric and general medical history, use of psychiatric medication, side effects of these medications, and positive and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia were collected using specific questionnaires designed for this purpose. Results: A total of 40 patients were evaluated and answered the proposed questionnaires. The results corroborate the literature regarding healthy lifestyle habits in patients with schizophrenia and showed a significant association between positive and negative symptoms with longer sleep time (rho=370; p=0.019) and (rho=430; p=0.006), direct correlation between walking practice and BMI (rho=0.338, p=0.044), average number of days and time of exercise performed in the week showed an inverse correlation with the value of the Chlorpromazine equivalent (rho=491; p=0.002). Fat intake was inversely correlated with more days of exercise per week (rho=-319; p=0.045), carbohydrate intake was directly correlated with fat intake (rho=417; p=0.007) and inversely correlated with the Hinting Task (rho=-396; p=0.014), and vegetable intake was directly related to fruit intake (rho=374; p=0.17) and protein intake (rho=439; p=0.05). Conclusions: The analysis presented may be an important tool to assist in the development of more intensive behavioral interventions in patients with schizophrenia, especially in those considered more vulnerable. These data also allow greater direction in the selection of pharmacological therapies, since the chosen medications may have several side effects that directly impact the lifestyle of these patients. Future research that involves long-term physical activity interventions may yield more consistent results on the effects of physical activity on dietary choices, symptoms, medication, and improved lifestyle habits of patients with schizophrenia.