G5 Artikkeliväitöskirja
Risk factors of non-affective psychoses: Metabolic health indicators and physical activity in childhood and adolescence
Tekijät: Sormunen, Elina
Kustannuspaikka: Turku
Julkaisuvuosi: 2025
Sarjan nimi: Turun yliopiston julkaisuja - Annales Universitatis Turkunesis D
Numero sarjassa: 1863
ISBN: 978-952-02-0090-9
eISBN: 978-952-02-0091-6
ISSN: 0355-9483
eISSN: 2343-3213
Psychoses are often considered the most severe psychiatric conditions, characterized by an impaired sense of reality. Schizophrenia is the most common and severe form of non-affective psychoses. In addition to psychiatric symptoms, individuals with schizophrenia have higher rates of morbidity and mortality from somatic diseases compared to the general population. Abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism are commonly observed in first-episode schizophrenia patients, regardless of antipsychotic treatment. Schizophrenia is considered a developmental disorder with a typical onset in adolescence or early adulthood but also with delayed motor, neurological, and cognitive development in early childhood.
This study aimed to investigate whether physical activity, lipid or insulin levels, or being underweight or overweight during childhood and adolescence affects the risk of non-affective psychosis, particularly schizophrenia. The study population comprises a longitudinal epidemiological cohort study, the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns (YFS), begun in 1980 (N = 3596). Psychiatric diagnoses were collected from the Care Register for Health Care.
Lower physical activity in children and adolescents was an independent risk factor for later non-affective psychosis. In addition, being underweight at the age of 3 to 18 years increased the risk of non-affective psychosis. These results were even stronger for a subgroup of schizophrenia but did not relate significantly to the risk of affective disorders. No significant differences were observed in insulin or lipid levels in children and adolescents who later developed schizophrenia, any non-affective psychosis, or affective disorder, compared to the cohort control group. However, lower triglyceride levels in childhood/adolescence were associated with earlier onset of non-affective psychosis.
This study provides novel insights into the childhood and adolescent risk factors for non-affective psychosis, particularly those that can be modified. The results provide a rationale for including exercise and physical activity interventions as a part of psychosis prevention programs.