Those with psychosis less likely to exercise finds new study
A large international study published on Thursday in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin has found that those with psychosis are less likely to partake in physical activity, with men even less likely to meet global recommendations than women.
The research, carried out by King's College London and the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust, looked at more than 200,000 people in nearly 50 countries to investigate whether those with psychosis are meeting the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended levels of physical activity -- at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week for adults aged 18-64.
The exercise can include walking, cycling, sport and even household chores.
People with psychosis, which can be associated with mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar affective disorder, and schizophrenia, have already been shown in smaller studies to engage in low levels of physical activity, and are known to die up to 15 years before the general population, mainly due to cardiovascular disease which can also help be prevented with physical activity.
In the study the team of researchers analyzed data from the World Health Survey which gathered data on more than 200,000 adults aged 18-64 from nearly 50 low-and-middle-income countries.
Participants were divided into three groups: people who had already been diagnosed with psychosis, those with no diagnosis but who displayed psychotic symptoms, and a control group of those with no diagnosis or symptoms in the last 12 months.
Participants in all three groups were interviewed on their levels of physical activity to assess if they were meeting the levels recommended by WHO.
The findings of the study revealed that those with psychosis were 36 percent more likely to fall short of the WHO's recommended levels of physical activity levels compared to those in the control group.
In addition, male participants were over two times more likely not to meet the recommended levels compared to people in the control sample.
The team now believe that the insights gained from the study could be important in understanding better the barriers to physical activity in those with psychosis, with the researchers finding that mobility difficulties, pain, depression and cognitive impairment were all contributing factors.
