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Health‐related quality of life and aerobic fitness in people with schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Vancampfort Davy,
Guelinckx Hannes,
Probst Michel,
Stubbs Brendon,
Rosenbaum Simon,
Ward Philip B.,
De Hert Marc
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.911
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1447-0349
pISSN - 1445-8330
DOI - 10.1111/inm.12145
Subject(s) - aerobic exercise , quality of life (healthcare) , medicine , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychology , gerontology , demography , psychiatry , nursing , sociology
The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to investigate whether aerobic fitness contributes to the health‐related quality of life ( HRQ o L ) in people with schizophrenia, while adjusting for other previously‐established contributory factors. Thirty‐four male (34.1 ± 12.0 years) and 13 female (34.3 ± 9.2 years) participants performed a submaximal A stran d–R hyming cycle ergometer test and completed the 36‐item S hort‐ F orm H ealth S urvey, the I nternational P hysical A ctivity Q uestionnaire, and the P sychosis E valuation tool for C ommon Use by C aregivers. After controlling for age and sex, illness duration (12.4 ± 11.2 years, r 2 = 0.38, P < 0.001), fewer positive (9.3 ± 4.3, r 2 = 0.30, P = 0.006) and cognitive (8.4 ± 3.8, r 2 = 0.28, P = 0.011) symptoms, and higher aerobic fitness (34.5 ± 8.7 ml O 2 min −1 kg −1 , r 2 = 0.36, P = 0.001) were found to be independent significant predictors of physical HRQoL (mean score 66.6 ± 18.5). However, when all variables were included in the same regression model, only illness duration ( P = 0.004) and positive symptoms ( P = 0.045) remained significant predictors, while there was a trend ( P < 0.10) for age and aerobic fitness. The final model explained 54% of the variability in physical HRQ o L . No significant correlates for mental HRQ o L (54.9 ± 18.5) were found. People with schizophrenia might improve their physical HRQ o L by improving their aerobic fitness. Mental health nurses should assist in facilitating improvements in aerobic fitness through facilitating physical activity participation in patients with schizophrenia.