Prevalence and Predictors of Metabolic Syndrome in People With Schizophrenia in Inpatient Rehabilitation Wards

Atypical antipsychotic medications increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular diseases in people with schizophrenia.

To explore the prevalence of MetS and the predictors associated with the number of MetS components in people with chronic schizophrenia.

We recruited 357 participants from 10 rehabilitation wards in northern Taiwan. The Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), and modified Baecke physical activity questionnaire were used to evaluate the participants. MetS prevalence was calculated using the modified Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asians.

The prevalence of MetS in this sample was 37.8%. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that the HPLP-exercise score (odds ratio [OR] = 0.411, p = .002) and depressive symptoms (OR = 0.949, p = .040) were protective factors for ≥4 MetS components. The leisure physical activity level (OR = .536, p = .024) was a protective factor for three MetS components. Body mass index ≥24 kg/m(2) was the strongest risk factor for two MetS components (OR = 8.057, p < .001), three MetS components (OR = 11.287, p < .001), and ≥four MetS components (OR = 15.621, p < .001). Additionally, participants' age >40 (OR = 3.638, p = .012) was a risk factor for ≥four MetS components.

In this study, the prevalence of MetS was higher than that reported for patients utilizing community-based services in Taiwan. The important risk factors for MetS were being overweight and older than 40. The protective factors for MetS were a high HPLP-exercise score and leisure-based physical activities.