Abstract
Introduction: Substance use disorder (SUD) can have many impacts on a person. For some mental health disorders (MHD), there is an impact on lifestyle habits such as physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior. PA is known to have positive effects on mental health for the general population, but little is known about people with SUD and its effect on PA behavior. Objective: To compare the level of PA and sedentary time between individuals with SUD and those with other MHD. Methods: Cross-sectional study using SIMPAQ (simple physical activity questionnaire) data from 23 countries was used. 946 participants with MHD were included in two separate groups (G1: SUD; G2: MHD). The groups were compared using a questionnaire on their PA level, different PA domains, and sedentary time. Results: SUD (N = 423; 36% women; 39.2 ± 12.2 years) and MHD (N = 523; 51% women; 39.9 ± 13.1 years). The population was mainly from Australia (14.8%). The results show that SUD is significantly more active (2.51 ± 1.89, vs. MHD: 2.23 ± 1.83 h/week; p=0.03) for total PA. A difference was also found on moderate to vigorous PA (SUD: 1.36 ± 1.20; vs. MHD: 1.11 ± 0.97 h/week, p=0.004) and walking (SUD: 1.46 ± 1.32 h/day; MHD: 1.10 ± 1.14 h/day, p<0.0001) as well as on sedentary time (SUD: 11.53 ± 2.77; vs MHD: 11.04 ± 2.56 h/day, p=0.02). Conclusion: SUD seems to be associated with a different level of PA and sedentary behavior compared to MHD.Acknowledgments: Fond de recherche du Québec en santé (FRQS), Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (CR-IUSMM), CICC, RISQ, IUD, RÉSO (16-35)