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Preventive care and health promotion in primary care: Comparison between the views of Spanish and European doctors

Abstract:

Objective. Disease prevention and health promotion are important tasks in the daily practice of all general practitioners (GPs). The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge and attitudes of European and Spanish GPs in implementing evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention recommendations in primary care, to describe GPs' perceived barriers to implementing these recommendations, and to assess how GPs' own health behaviors affect their work with their patients. Design. A postal multinational survey was carried out from June 2000 to May 2001. Setting. A random sample of GPs listed from national colleges of each country. Participants. A total of 2082 GPs from 11 European countries participated in the survey. In Spain a total of 270 GPs participated. Results. Spanish GPs carried out more frequently most of the health promotion or disease prevention activities than the European GPs. Spanish GPs carried out less often those no evidence-based activities. The most important barrier reported was heavy workload/lack of time. Associations between personal health behaviour and attitudes to health promotion or activities in prevention were found. GPs who smoked felt less effective in helping patients to reduce tobacco consumption than non-smoking GPs (39.34% vs 48.18%; P< .01). GPs who exercised felt that they were more effective in helping patients to practice regular physical exercise than sedentary GPs (59.14% vs 49.70%; P<.01). No differences were observed for Spanish GPs. Conclusions. Significant gaps between GP's knowledge and practices persist in the use of evidence-based recommendations for health promotion and disease prevention in primary care. Spanish GPs carried out more frequently evidence-base recommendations for health promotion and disease prevention by age and sex.