Are adults with bipolar disorder active? Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior using...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Physical activity and sedentary behavior in adults with bipolar disorder (BP) are understudied.
• These behaviors may influence the high rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and mortality observed in adults with BP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns in adults with bipolar disorder.
• To compare these patterns to matched individuals without bipolar disorder.

Main Methods:

• Sixty adult outpatients with BP (age > 18) wore accelerometers for seven days to measure activity levels.
• Activity was classified as sedentary (<100 counts/min), light (101-1951 counts/min), or moderate/vigorous (>1952 counts/min).
• BP participants were matched 1:1 to NHANES 2003-2004 participants (mental health service users and non-users) by gender, BMI, and age.

Main Results:

• Adults with BP spent 78% of monitored time (approx. 13.5 hours/day) sedentary.
• Light physical activity comprised 21% of daily monitoring time (215 min/day).
• No participants met the national guideline of 150 min/wk of moderate/vigorous activity; adults with BP were significantly less active and more sedentary than matched controls (p<0.01).

Conclusions:

• The majority of participants had mild depressive symptoms, with none experiencing severe mania.
• Physical activity interventions are clinically justified for adults with BP to enhance physical and mental health.
• Such interventions may reduce the risk of common medical comorbidities in this high-risk population.