Obesity among patients with schizophrenia, attending outpatient psychiatric clinic, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
- Author:
Salmi Razali
;
Ainsah Omar
;
Osman Che Bakar
;
Shamsul Azman Shah
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
schizophrenia, obesity, body mass index, waist circumference
- From:ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry
2007;8(2):90-96
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity among patients with
schizophrenia and its association with the demographic profile. Methods: This is a cross
sectional study. Subjects were selected using systematic sampling. Patients attending the out
patient psychiatric clinic, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, who fulfilled the criteria
and able to give consent were included in this study. Diagnosis of schizophrenia was made
using Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) for DSM-IV. Demographic profiles of the patients
were obtained and anthropometric measurements were measured and classified according to
Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC) of Asian population. Results: A total
of 97 patients were included. The prevalence of overweight (BMI: 23.0- 27.4 kg/m2) was
39.2% (n=38), and the prevalence of obesity (BMI: >27.0 kg/m2) was 35.1% (n=34). BMI
was higher among non-Chinese (Malay and Indian, p=.03) and those who had low total
household income (p=.03). Sixty-two patients (63.9%) had high WC, which was associated
with male (p=.003) and non-Chinese (p=.03). Conclusions: Obesity is highly prevalent among
patients with schizophrenia. The risk factors for obesity include male, non-Chinese and those
with low total income. The high WC among non-Chinese and male patients suggests that they
are at a higher risk of developing obesity-related physical illnesses. These findings support
that obesity is a common critical issue among schizophrenic patients, and it warrants serious
clinical interventions.
