Volume 26, Issue 121, March 2022

Egyptian physicians’ lifestyle behaviors and health promotion activities towards patients with chronic non-communicable diseases

Hanaa E Bayomy Helal^1♦, Mona Ahmed El-Awady²

¹Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha, Egypt; Department of Family & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, KSA
²Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha, Egypt

^♦Corresponding author
Dr. Hanaa E. Bayomy Helal, Ph.D., MD, MSc, Department of Public Health &Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Egypt and Department of Family & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, KSA

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The primary prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is based on health promotion activities aiming to protect people against unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. The aim of this study was to assess lifestyles, the perceived level of training on and practicing health promotion among physicians working in Benha City, Egypt. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on physicians working at public health facilities in Benha. A designed electronic questionnaire was employed to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviours, perceived level of training on and practices health promotion among physicians. Results: The study recruited 260 physicians (response rate = 67.7%). Their ages ranged between 27 and 70 years. 10.8% of physicians have been ever smoked, and 50% slept 6-8 hours per day. About two-thirds of physicians ate <3 portions of fruit/ vegetable daily and were physically active. Three-quarters were overweight/ obese. Less than one-third were very prepared on counseling for weight control, nutrition, exercise, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. Most physicians advised their patients to eat healthy food and take medication properly. Physical exercise, avoiding smoking, and avoiding alcohol intake were advised by 55.4%, 21.5%, and 3.8%, respectively. Physical activity was associated with providing counselling about nutrition, exercise, and smoking avoidance. Conclusion: Considerable proportions of physicians reported not engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviours, which might impact their health and render them less likely to encourage such behaviours in their patients.

Keywords: Physicians; Lifestyle behaviors; Health promotion activities; NonCommunicable Diseases; NCDs; Egypt

Medical Science, 2022, 26, ms102e2071

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v26i121/ms102e2071

Published: 16 March 2022