Physical activity in adolescents who later developed schizophrenia: A prospective case-control
study from the Young-HUNT
Sammanfattning
Background: Adults suffering from schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders report low
levels of physical activity. In addition, these patients have an increased risk of overweight and poor
nutritional habits. Less is known about patterns and levels of physical activity before the onset of
disease. Aims: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether there were specific patterns of
physical activity in the premorbid phase of schizophrenia and whether these participants differed
from those with bipolar disorder (BD). A group of healthy controls (HC) was also included. Methods:
The study was a prospective, longitudinal, comparative cohort design in which 15 adolescents who
later developed schizophrenia and 18 with later BD were compared with HC. Data were analysed
using non-parametric statistical tests. Results: Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were less
physically active with fewer days per week (p < 0.05) and fewer hours per week (p < 0.05) in the
premorbid phase than both BD and HC. They also participated less in team sports than HC (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our results suggest that individuals who develop schizophrenia in their teens may be at
risk of establishing a lifestyle harmful to health. From a preventive perspective it is important to gain
more knowledge about the connections between health habits and later development of disease.