PURPOSE: Obesity is frequently comorbid with psychiatric disorders, representing a crucial question in terms of the compliance to treatments and of several medical complications. The aim of this study was to compare the modifications in motivation to physical activity (PA) of seriously overweight and obese psychiatric patients, with normal weight psychiatric patients, during a multidimensional residential treatment which included daily group-based exercise programs. METHOD: A pre-post comparative design was used. Participants were 32 seriously overweight (BMI: 27.5-29.9) or obese (BMI ≥ 30), and 71 normal-weight or moderate overweight (BMI ≤ 27.4) psychiatric patients, consecutively admitted to a middle term (45-60 days) residential treatment. The 6 Minutes Walking Test (6MWT), the Situational Motivation Scale, the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale and the Decisional Balance Questionnaire were used. T-tests, ANOVAs and regression analyses were conducted on the different variables. RESULT(S): Despite overweight and obese patients reported at the admission significantly lower level in the 6MWT and in motivation scales compared to moderate overweight and normal weight patients, at the end of the treatment they improved significantly exercise tolerance, as measured by the 6MWT, intrinsic motivation and identified regulation, enjoyment in PA and decisional balance. Improvements in the 6MWT seem to predict positive changes in motivation. CONCLUSION(S): The organization of exercise programs appears a cost-effective strategy to change, in the short time, the attitudes toward PA of obese psychiatric patients, increasing their motivation and enjoyment. Exercise should be regularly included in psychiatric treatment protocols and strategies to facilitate and stimulate participation should be implemented also at community-based levels.

Motivation to physical activity in obese psychiatric patients

Gobbi E;
2013

Abstract

PURPOSE: Obesity is frequently comorbid with psychiatric disorders, representing a crucial question in terms of the compliance to treatments and of several medical complications. The aim of this study was to compare the modifications in motivation to physical activity (PA) of seriously overweight and obese psychiatric patients, with normal weight psychiatric patients, during a multidimensional residential treatment which included daily group-based exercise programs. METHOD: A pre-post comparative design was used. Participants were 32 seriously overweight (BMI: 27.5-29.9) or obese (BMI ≥ 30), and 71 normal-weight or moderate overweight (BMI ≤ 27.4) psychiatric patients, consecutively admitted to a middle term (45-60 days) residential treatment. The 6 Minutes Walking Test (6MWT), the Situational Motivation Scale, the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale and the Decisional Balance Questionnaire were used. T-tests, ANOVAs and regression analyses were conducted on the different variables. RESULT(S): Despite overweight and obese patients reported at the admission significantly lower level in the 6MWT and in motivation scales compared to moderate overweight and normal weight patients, at the end of the treatment they improved significantly exercise tolerance, as measured by the 6MWT, intrinsic motivation and identified regulation, enjoyment in PA and decisional balance. Improvements in the 6MWT seem to predict positive changes in motivation. CONCLUSION(S): The organization of exercise programs appears a cost-effective strategy to change, in the short time, the attitudes toward PA of obese psychiatric patients, increasing their motivation and enjoyment. Exercise should be regularly included in psychiatric treatment protocols and strategies to facilitate and stimulate participation should be implemented also at community-based levels.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11576/2679332
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact