Consulting Obese and Overweight Patients for Nutrition and Physical Activity in Primary Healthcare in Poland

Małgorzata Znyk, Radosław Zajdel and Dorota Kaleta
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Małgorzata Znyk: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical University of Lodz, Żeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Łódź, Poland
Radosław Zajdel: Department of Computer Science in Economics, University of Lodz, POW 3/5, 90-255 Łódź, Poland
Dorota Kaleta: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical University of Lodz, Żeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Łódź, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary and physical activity counseling provided to adults by family doctors. Predictors of counseling in primary healthcare were identified. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2020 to December 2021 among 896 adult primary care patients in the city of Łódź [Lodz], Poland. Almost 36% of the respondents were advised to change their eating habits, and 39.6% were advised to increase their physical activity. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, people in poor health with chronic diseases related to overweight and obesity and with two, three or more chronic diseases, respectively, received advice on eating habits from their GP twice and three times more often than people in good health with no chronic conditions (OR = 1.81; p < 0.05 and OR = 1.63; p < 0.05; OR = 3.03; p < 0.001). People in the age groups 30–39 years and 40–49 years (OR = 1.71; p < 0.05 and OR = 1.58; p < 0.05), widowed (OR = 2.94; p < 0.05), with two, three or more chronic diseases (OR = 1.92; p < 0.01 and OR = 3.89; p < 0.001), and subjectively assessing overweight and obesity (OR = 1.61; p < 0.01) had a better chance of receiving advice on physical activity. The study found a higher proportion of advice on diet and physical activity provided to overweight and obese patients by primary care physicians than in other studies; however, still not all receive the necessary counseling. GPs should advise all patients not to become overweight and obese, not only those already affected by the problem.

Keywords: GP doctor; Poland; nutrition; physical activity; overweight; obesity; counseling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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