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Patient and direct‐care staff body mass index in a state mental hospital: implications for management
Author(s) -
Vieweg W. V. R.,
Thomas M.,
Janisko M.,
Booth M.,
Fernandez A.,
Pandurangi A.,
Silverman J. J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2004.00345.x
Subject(s) - body mass index , obesity , overweight , medicine , population , gerontology , environmental health
Objective: Obesity is a major problem among chronically psychotic patients. Method: We assessed body mass index (BMI) of chronically psychotic patients on admission to a state mental hospital and in follow‐up. We also compared patient BMI to staff BMI. Results: The initial patient BMI (26.4 ± 5.8 kg/m 2 ) was in the overweight range. The patient BMI (29.1 ± 5.8 kg/m 2 ) increased ( P < 0.0001) on follow‐up and almost reached the level of obesity. Staff BMI (35.1 ± 8.6 kg/m 2 ) was in the obese range with 64.9% meeting criteria of obesity and 29.9% meeting criteria of morbid obesity. African‐American women made up 84.5% of clinical‐care staff and constitute the race–sex mix most vulnerable to obesity in the US. Morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 ) was five times more common among these African‐American female clinical‐care staff than among African‐American women in the general US population. Conclusion: Our findings may have treatment implications for chronically psychotic patients at risk for obesity.