Barriers, Benefits, and Strategies for Physical Activity in Patients With Schizophrenia

Background Patients with schizophrenia have a substantially increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death compared with the general population. High prevalence of an unhealthy lifestyle contributes to the increased risk in these patients. Patients with schizophrenia are often physically inactive, and there is limited knowledge on the factors, such as barriers and incentives, that can influence physical activity in this patient group. Objective The aim was to study the perception and experience of barriers to and incentives for physical activity in daily living in patients with schizophrenia, as reported by the patients themselves. Design An explorative study applying conventional qualitative content analysis was conducted. Methods A purposeful sample of 20 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (13 men, 7 women; 22–63 years of age) registered at 3 psychiatric outpatient clinics in Sweden were interviewed using semistructured interviews. Results The analysis resulted in 3 main themes: (1) barriers—factors that complicate or obstruct physical activity, (2) reward—the motivation for physical activity, and (3) helpful strategies. Limitations The results may not reflect important factors related to physical activity in older patients (>65 years of age), newly diagnosed patients, or inpatients. Conclusions In accordance with patients' perceptions, there may be biopsychosocial determinants of physical activity behavior that are unique for this group of patients. Future studies should investigate whether physical activity interventions for patients with schizophrenia benefit from individual analyses of barriers and reward for physical activity in combination with the use of tailored strategies such as personal support and activity planning.