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

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.