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Published on: July 27, 2018
Sedentary behaviour patterns in outpatients with severe mental illness: a cross-sectional study using objective and
Javier Bueno-Antequera1, Miguel Ángel Oviedo-Caro1, Diego Munguia-Izquierdo2
1Department of Sports and Computer Science, Section of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain.
Patients with severe mental illness spend most waking hours sedentary, mainly watching TV. Self-reported sedentary time lacks validity in this population, especially for younger individuals and those with longer illness duration or lower antipsychotic medication doses.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Sedentary behavior is a significant health concern, particularly in vulnerable populations.
- Understanding sedentary patterns in severe mental illness (SMI) is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated sedentary behavior patterns across diverse SMI subgroups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify and compare sedentary behavior patterns in patients with SMI.
- To investigate sedentary behavior variations based on gender, age, BMI, distress, illness duration, and antipsychotic medication.
- To assess the concordance between objective (SenseWear Armband) and self-reported (Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire) measures.
Main Methods:
- Ninety outpatients with SMI (primarily schizophrenia) participated.
- Objective sedentary time was measured using the SenseWear Armband.
- Self-reported sedentary behavior was assessed using the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Patients spent 58% of waking time sedentary, predominantly watching television.
- Objective and self-reported methods showed similar overall sedentary time, but self-reports had low validity.
- Significant differences in sedentary behavior between stratified groups were only detected objectively.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with SMI exhibit high levels of sedentary behavior, with television viewing being most common.
- Objective measures are more reliable for detecting group differences in sedentary behavior within this population.
- Self-reported sedentary time estimates are unreliable in patients with SMI, particularly for younger individuals and those with specific illness characteristics.

