Biomaterial Database

Health promotion: physicians' beliefs, attitudes, and practices. 1986

C M Valente, and J Sobal, and H L Muncie, and D M Levine, and A M Antlitz

Center for Health Education, Inc., Baltimore, MD 21201.

There is a paucity of research describing the health-promotion beliefs, attitudes, and practices of physicians. Self-reported data from a survey of 1,040 primary care physicians showed that a majority of physicians (97 percent) believed they should modify patients' behaviors to minimize risk factors and rated a variety of health behaviors as important in promoting health. While most physicians gathered information about risk factors and believed they were prepared to counsel patients, only a small percentage (3-18 percent) reported being very successful in helping patients achieve behavioral change. However, given appropriate support, physicians reported that they could be up to six times more successful in influencing behavioral change. This study indicated that physicians have strong beliefs and interests in health promotion, are interested in continuing education about health promotion topics, and desire a variety of new skills to help patients modify their health behaviors.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007388	Internal Medicine	A medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the internal organ systems of adults.	General Internal Medicine,Medicine, Internal,Internal Medicine, General,Medicine, General Internal
D008297	Male		Males
D008396	Maryland	A state bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, on the east by Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Virginia and West Virginia, and on the west by West Virginia.
D009774	Obstetrics	A medical-surgical specialty concerned with management and care of women during pregnancy, parturition, and the puerperium.
D010821	Physicians, Family	Those physicians who have completed the education requirements specified by the American Academy of Family Physicians.	Family Physician,Family Physicians,Physician, Family
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005260	Female		Females
D006176	Gynecology	A medical-surgical specialty concerned with the physiology and disorders primarily of the female genital tract, as well as female endocrinology and reproductive physiology.
D006293	Health Promotion	Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care.	Health Campaigns,Promotion of Health,Wellness Programs,Promotional Items,Campaign, Health,Campaigns, Health,Health Campaign,Health Promotions,Item, Promotional,Items, Promotional,Program, Wellness,Programs, Wellness,Promotion, Health,Promotional Item,Promotions, Health,Wellness Program
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man