title: Physical activity and anomalous bodily experiences in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low physical activity is strongly correlated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and poor physical health. Although the prevalence of MetS is high in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES), little is still known about the level of and possible barriers for physical activity in FES.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to compare physical activity in patients with FES with healthy controls; to investigate changes in physical activity over 1 year of follow-up; and to explore the correlations of physical activity and anomalous bodily experiences reported by patients with FES.
  
  
  METHODS
  Both physical activity and aerobic fitness were measured. Anomalous bodily experiences were measured by selected items from the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience and The Body Awareness Scale. Psychopathological data comprising negative and positive symptoms and data on psychotropic medication were obtained from medical records of all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical activity and aerobic fitness was significantly lower in patients with FES compared with healthy controls (p < 0.001). Over 1 year of follow-up patients had lower physical activity and aerobic fitness. Patients with more severe anomalous bodily experiences had significantly lower physical activity compared with patients with fewer such experiences (p = 0.030). In linear regression analyses only negative symptoms were significantly correlated with low physical activity (β = -0.88; 95% confidence interval = -1.48 to -0.29; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical activity and aerobic fitness is low in patients with FES. Both anomalous bodily experiences and negative symptoms are significantly correlated with low physical activity.
authors.affiliation: a The Research Unit, Department of Affective Disorders Q , Aarhus University Hospital , Risskov , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nyboe
authors.affiliation: b Department of Medicine , Horsen Regional Hospital , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Marianne K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.affiliation: a The Research Unit, Department of Affective Disorders Q , Aarhus University Hospital , Risskov , Denmark ;
authors.forename: Claus H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Vestergaard
authors.affiliation: c SEARCH - Research Group for Synthesis of Evidence and Research, Research Unit for Musculoskeletal Function and Physiotherapy (FoF), Department of Sports Sciences and Clinical Biomechanics , University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark ;|d Center for Evidence-Based Practice , Bergen University College , Bergen , Norway ;
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.affiliation: a The Research Unit, Department of Affective Disorders Q , Aarhus University Hospital , Risskov , Denmark ;|e Psychiatric Centre Glostrup , Glostrup , Denmark.
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Videbech
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: First-episode schizophrenia; aerobic fitness; anomalous bodily experience; physical activity