Factors associated with overweight and obesity in Lebanese male patients with schizophrenia.

Purpose: To assess the influence of lifestyle factors, antipsychotic medications, and psychosis symptoms on obesity in a group of male patients with schizophrenia in Lebanon.

Design/methods: A cross-sectional study conducted between May and July 2018 enrolling 149 male patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Results: We found that 59.1% of the patients were obese/overweight. Older age and higher negative and total positive and negative syndrome scale scores were significantly associated with lower body mass index values.

Practice Implications: This study shed light on some factors associated with obesity in male patients with schizophrenia, which may be targeted for the prevention and management of obesity. Some interventions were proposed such as focusing on patients' physical health, psychiatric treatment, and maintaining a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.