Do health professionals care about their health? A comparative study of doctors and people with non-medical university education.
Journal Title: Polish Journal of Public Health - Year 2009, Vol 119, Issue 2
Abstract
[b]Introduction[/b]. In general opinion doctors are considered to be paragons of proper health behaviour. The aim of our study was to assess if their lifestyles really fi t to this image. [b]Material and methods[/b]. The anonymous questionnaire distributed among group of 56 medicine doctors (42 females and 14 males) and control group of 62 people with non-medical university education (33 females and 29 males) was used to obtain data. Questionnaire consisted of 37 test and open questions considering alcohol and tobacco consumption, eating habits, sport activity and prophylactic examinations. The survey took place in January and February of 2008. [b]Results[/b]. There was no signifi cant statistical difference between the study and control group in: mean BMI values, awareness of own overweight, pattern and quality of meals, alcohol consumption and time spent weekly on sport activities and number of former and active tobacco smokers. More doctors declare to practice sport ‘regularly’ and ‘time to time’ than in the control group (Chi-squared test, p=0.032) and consume fruit and vegetables over 3 times a day (Chi-squared test, p=0.002). There are no differences both in awareness and practice of breast and cervix cancer prophylaxis between the groups of doctor and non-doctor women, also general poor participation in cervix and breast cancer prophylaxis was revealed. [b]Conclusions[/b]. The survey proved that physicians’ lifestyle is not much healthier in comparison to people with nonmedical university education. The percentage of female doctors as well as women from the control group undergoing cytological examinations regularly and practicing breast self-examination is still too low. As doctors should be examples of proper health behaviours, teaching programs should put a higher emphasis on this problem among health professionals.
Authors and Affiliations
Marcin Nowicki, Urszula Dokurno, Maciej Cymerys, Martyna Klimczak, Magdalena Andrzejewska
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP83472
- DOI -
- Views 153
- Downloads 0
Change in physiotherapy students' attitudes towards cooperation in an interdisciplinary medical team
[b]Introduction[/b]. Effective collaboration within a medical team is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring a high level of service in health care. Students of medical degree programs perceive other medicine...
Expectations and motivations related to achieving the profession of doctor and professional plans of graduates of the Medical Faculty, Pomeranian Medical University PMU in Szczecin part II
[b]Introduction[/b]. The end of university studies is with a period of reflection, evaluation of studies and crystallization of career plans. The aim of this study was to get to know expectations and motivations related...
The role of a nurse in prevention of child abuse syndrome
The phenomenon of child abuse is a significant interdisciplinary problem requiring intense preventive measures. It is essential not only to detect child abuse but prevent the violence. Prevention of abuse and neglect pro...
Postawa młodzieży gimnazjalnej pochodzącej z rodzin z problemem alkoholowym wobec dalszego kształcenia.
[b]Wprowadzenie[/b]. Problem uzależnienia od środków psychoaktywnych, w tym od alkoholu, nabiera coraz większego znaczenia społecznego. Aby skutecznie przeciwdziałać tej chorobie współczesnego świata, która pochłania lic...
Ocena sposobu żywienia osób pracujących w systemie zmianowym
[b]Wstęp[/b]. Praca w systemie zmianowym może przyczy-niać się do zwiększenia ryzyka rozwoju wielu chorób i dolegliwości. Inny od naturalnego rozkład czasu pracy wpływa na wiele aspektów życia w tym na sposób odżywiania...