Objective: Studies have reported that up to 60% of individuals with schizophrenia are overweight or obese. This study explored the relationship between obesity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Chinese patients with schizophrenia.
Methods: A total of 1,108 patients with schizophrenia aged 18-50 years were recruited from 10 different sites in China. Demographic and medical information were collected; the Mandarin version of Short Form 36 Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) was used to assess HRQoL; in addition,height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI). BMI was categorized into underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese using cutoffs for Asian populations recommended by the World Health Organization.
Results: Fifty-six percent of participants with schizophrenia were overweight or obese. A higher BMI was associated with significantly lower scores in physical functioning, role-physical, and physical component summary (p's ≤ 0.010). Obese patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower scores in 3 domains and physical component summary of the SF-36 compared with normal weight patients (p's ≤ 0.007).
Conclusion: Obesity is associated with decreased HRQoL in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. Our findings suggest that the prevention and management of weight gain and obesity is important in improving HRQoL in patients who suffer from this devastating mental illness.