Core food group intake in people with enduring psychotic illness accessing community mental health services

Poor dietary intake in people with enduring psychotic illness (EPI) is related to physical comorbidity which in turn raises the risk of premature death due to cardiovascular disease. This study evaluates the dietary intake of the five core food groups in consumers with EPI attending a dedicated multidisciplinary clinical service, the Collaborative Centre for Cardiometabolic Health in Psychosis (ccCHiP). As part of routine care, dietary intakes were collected from a sample of consecutive adult consumers attending the ccCHiP service during May 2014 through December 2020. In total, 1484 occasions of service were provided to 1084 consumers (mean age 44.3, SD 12.7 years and 63% males). Thirty-one percent of those assessed, met the recommended daily fruit intake according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG). In nine percent of assessments, people met the recommended daily vegetable intake. The proportions of people meeting daily intake of protein, dairy, and grains were 48, 20 and 49 percent respectively. On multivariable analysis, males, those with a sedentary lifestyle, receiving pension benefits, and living outside the family were statistically significantly associated with lower vegetable intake. Similarly, males, those with a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and those living outside the family, particularly in a boarding house, were statistically associated with lower fruit intake. There was a significant gap for fruit intake compared to population norms, with this gap widening with age. Moreover, a significant proportion of consumers reported no vegetable (7%), or fruit (34%) intake. Both were significantly lower than Australian norms. On average, consumers with EPI under-consumed core food groups, in particular, they consumed less fruit daily compared to the Australian General population. These findings suggest that to improve the parlous rates of premature cardiovascular mortality in those with EPI, increasing dietetic input into formulating preventative health interventions should be strongly considered when planning interventional services.