Associations between health risk behaviors and perceived health status among individuals with serious mental illness (SMI)

Individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) suffer from chronic medical problems and have greater mortality rates than the general population. The combination of four health-risk behaviors (i.e., physical inactivity, poor diet, smoking, and excessive alcohol intake) may contribute to decreased health status. This study aims to investigate associations between four health risk behaviors and perceived health status of individuals with SMI, so as to provide a better understanding of the attribution of each health-risk behavior to perceived health status. A secondary data analysis of the 2013-2014 California Health Interview Survey was utilized. A total of 1,277 adults were selected based on the criteria of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses revealed that individuals with SMI who had unhealthy dietary behaviors and were physically inactive were more likely to rate their health status as poor, compared with their counterparts (OR = 0.23, 95% CI [0.10, 0.56] and OR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.10, 0.96], respectively). However, individuals with SMI who had episodes of binge drinking were less likely to rate their perceived health status as poor, but the counterparts tend to rate their health status as more than fair (OR = 2.56, 95% CI [0.10, 0.56]).