Paper: Obesity of Chronic Schizophrenia Patients in the Long-Term Care Unit (19th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice)

Wednesday, 9 July 2008

Chin-Ching Hsiao, BS , Kaohsiung Jen-Ai Home, Rose Garden, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

Min-Ling Liao, BS , Kaohsiung Jen-Ai Home, Rose Garden, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

Kuo-Ching Lin, PhD , Kaohsiung Jen-Ai Home, Rose Garden, Kaohsiung County, Taiwan

Shih-Ming Kuo, MS , Environment Engineering, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan

Ya Lie Ku, MSN , College of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: The learner would be able to understand the phenomena of obesity for the chronic schizophrenia patients.

Learning Objective 2: The learner would be able to understand the psychiatric medicines related to the problems of obesity for the chronic schizophrenia patients.

Schizophrenia is one of the top ten psychiatric diseases in Taiwan. The obesity problem of chronic schizophrenia patients has become seriously due to the side effects of psychiatric medicines and sedentary life-style in the long-term care unit. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the phenomena of obesity for the chronic schizophrenia patients. This survey study is to measure the Body Mass Index of 179 chronic schizophrenia patients by following the standard of Department of Health Executive Yuan. Results indicated that 51.4% of subjects were overweight and 28.5% were obesity. Analysis of the psychiatric medicines, which are easily induced overweight, used by the chronic schizophrenia patients identified the following ordering percentage of clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, thioridazine, chlorpromazine, risperidone, amisulprid, haloperidol, ziprasidone were related to their overweight. Total 34.1% of the chronic schizophrenia patients were overweight originated from using above nine medicines. Based on the findings, it is suggested that health care professionals in the long-term care unit of chronic schizophrenia patients should design a body-weight controlling program for the patients who have taken these nine psychiatric medicines to prevent their overweight. For the obesity problem, a body-weight reduction program should be conducted for the chronic schizophrenia patients. Since the physical and cognitive retardation, body-weight controlling and reduction programs would be recommended as the individualized interventions, and at the same time should consider the preventing strategies for the hazards of falling. In the long run, weight controlling and reduction programs might reduce the incidences of chronic illness such as hypertension and diabetics among chronic schizophrenia patients in the long-term care unit.

See more of: POSTERS: Psychiatric/Mental Health for Adults
See more of: Research Sessions – Oral Paper & Posters