Surgeons and preventive health: a mixed methods study of current practice, beliefs and attitudes influencing health promotion activities amongst public hospital surgeons

Table 3 Self-reported rates of preventive health practice and attitudes to preventive health amongst survey respondents (N = 16)

Variable	High^a	Medium^a	Low^a	No Activity^b
	Number (proportion)
Preventive health activities
Overall preventive health practice rates	1 (6%)	3 (19%)	12 (75%)	0
Asking patients about behavioural risk factors	2 (12%)	4 (25%)	10 (63%)	0
Assess patients readiness to change their behaviour	0	5 (31%)	9 (56%)	2 (12%)
Provide verbal advice to patients	2 (12%)	4 (25%)	10 (63%)	0
Provide written advice to patients	0	0	2 (12%)	14 (88%)
Refer patients to other service for help in managing their risk factor	0	0	3 (19%)	13 (82%)
Attitudes to preventive health
Confidence in addressing lifestyle changes	6 (38%)	9 (56%)	1 (6%)	–
Knowledge in addressing lifestyle changes	5 (31%)	10 (63%)	1 (6%)	–
How effective you think your advice is in helping clients with lifestyle changes	0	10 (63%)	6 (37%)	–
Patients find it agreeable for me to raise lifestyle changes as part of consultation	0	12 (75%)	4 (25%)	–
How important lifestyle changes are for health	11 (69%)	5 (31%)	0	–
How important it is to address lifestyle changes with patients	7 (44%)	9 (56%)	0	–
How much of a work priority is it to address lifestyle changes with patients	1 (6%)	13 (82%)	2 (12%)	–

^a High implementation rates defined screening and/or intervention scores in the fourth quartile for responding surgeons. Low implementation rates defined screening and/or intervention scores less than or equal to the first quartile for responding surgeons. The same quartile cut-off points are used for attitudes to preventive health
^b Scores of 0 for rates of preventive health activities

ISSN: 1472-6963