OpenLB
Open Library of Bioscience

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.