Body Mass Index of Schizophrenic Patients with Combined Antipsychotic Therapy

Background: The prevalence of schizophrenia is increasing every year. Schizophrenia also causes other problems because of the risk of experiencing malnutrition. The study aims to determine the description of the Body Mass Index (BMI) and analyze its relationship with demographic variables in schizophrenic patients. Methods: This study involved outpatients (n=117) aged 36.83±9.29 (mean±SD) years with a diagnosis of schizophrenia based on PPDGJIII (Pedoman Penggolongan Diagnosis Gangguan Jiwa III) criteria, which came use for treatment at a mental hospital. The study used a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from interviews in term of sociodemographic data, medical records, weight measurements, and height. BMI categories were underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal (18.5- 22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23-24.9 kg/m2) and obese (≥25 kg/m2). Results: Overall, the prevalence of obesity was 39.3%, while underweight was 6.8%. The proportion of obesity was the same between men (19.7%) and women (19.7%). Spearman correlation test analysis showed a significant relationship between female gender and BMI (r=0.275; P<0.05). Schizophrenic patients with female gender had a BMI of 2.41 units higher than male sex, and this relationship was statistically significant (b=2.41; 95% CI: 0.78-4.03; P<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity was quite high in schizophrenic patients who were on an outpatient basis. Gender was a significant predictor of increased BMI. This study suggests that gender can be a risk factor for obesity in schizophrenic patients.