2019 Volume 39 Pages 68-73
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the correlations between daily physical activity and objective/subjective sleep variables in schizophrenic patients.
Methods: Twenty-seven schizophrenia patients (male 17, female 10, mean age: 58.3 ± 11.6 years, no change in medicine for one month of the study) were evaluated with regard to their physical activity and objective sleep variables for one week. Total sleep time (TST), sleep latency (SL), waking after sleep onset (WASO), and sleep efficiency (SE) were determined by wrist actigraphy. Daily physical activity (steps per day) was assessed with the help of a waist pedometer. Subjective sleep quality was also assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
Results: Physical activity showed significant correlation with SE (r = .629, p < .01), TST (r = .406, p < .05), and WASO (r = –.615, p < .01). On the other hand, there was no correlation between physical activity and PSQI score.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that objective sleep quality index in schizophrenia inpatients may be more effectively improved by increasing the amount of daily physical activity.
