Do healthy doctors deliver better messages of health promotion to their patients?: Data from the SUN cohort study

Abstract

Background Healthy lifestyle adherence is associated with lower chronic disease morbidity/mortality. The role of doctors, as counselors and role models, is essential. Among physicians participating in a prospective cohort, we investigated the behavioral counseling on diet and lifestyle provided to their patients in association with their own personal behaviors. Methods We assessed 890 doctors aged ≤65 years participating in the ‘Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra’ (SUN) cohort, who replied to an online questionnaire regarding their practices on behavioral counseling and drug prescription to their patients. Data were combined with previous baseline information on their personal healthy habits. Results Among doctors, 31% reported <10 min per visit; 73% counseled 60–100% of their patients on smoking cessation, 58% on physical activity, 54% on weight control, 51% on healthy nutrition, 44% on alcohol avoidance/reduction and 28% recommended alcohol moderate consumption. The percentage of doctors that counseled 100% of their patients about lifestyle was 43% for smoking cessation, 15% for exercise and 13% for weight control and nutrition. Better doctor’s adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern was associated with more frequent and longer nutrition counseling. Higher practice of physical activity was associated with longer time on counseling about exercise to their patients. Among doctors both current and former smoking were inversely associated with the frequency and duration of their smoking cessation/avoidance counseling practices. Conclusions Personal behavioral changes among doctors and better training of medical doctors on a personal healthy diet and lifestyle are likely to contribute to improve the behavioral counseling given to patients.

Physicians’ characteristics and practices associated with the provision of cancer screening advice to their patients: the Spanish SUN cohort study

“…In this context, a previous study conducted in this same sample of doctors found that prescribing practices were associated other forms of behavioural counselling. 13 Our study showed that age or sex of the physician was not associated with counselling of screening cancer in general. These results are similar to those that Engler et al found in their study where no differences were found between male and female physicians regarding rating the cancer screening examination as useful or fairly useful, 27 and Lofters et al found no differences between physicians' age and the counselling of cancer screening.…”

“…In this context, a previous study conducted in this same sample of doctors found that prescribing practices were associated other forms of behavioural counselling. 13 …”

“…The objectives, design and methods of the SUN cohort have been published in detail elsewhere. [9][10][11][12][13] Briefly, this cohort began in 1999 and included university graduates from the University of Navarra and other Spanish universities. The recruitment is permanently open, and the main objective was to assess the effects of diet and lifestyles on chronic diseases.…”

Exploring the role of social capital, self-efficacy and social contagion in shaping lifestyle and mental health among students representing the future healthcare workforce in Palestine: social cohort study protocol

“…The daily stresses due to economic hardship, unemployment, family conflict, lack of public spaces for recreation and leisure and lack of sustainable facilities for physical activities, all increase the stress and ultimately their impact on NCD risk 71. Interventions to promote healthy behaviours among students were positively associated with their prevention-related attitudes and counselling practices 35 66 72 73. Thus, appropriate interventions can be implemented to improve the health and well-being of the students.…”

Prevalence and determinants of smoking behavior among physicians in emergency department: A national cross-sectional study in China

“…Smoking is responsible for more than 6 million deaths worldwide each year ( 2 ). Because physicians are the primary sources of health knowledge and medical advice ( 3 ), and their medical advice has a large impact on the population's health perceptions and health behaviors. The World Health Organization encourages and mobilizes health professionals to become actively involved in tobacco harm prevention and control ( 4 ).…”