Health promotion, the family physician and youth: improving the connection

There is evidence to link adolescent morbidity and mortality with their high-risk behaviour. As a result, the medical community has increased its focus on health promotion and disease prevention. Family physicians, in particular, appear to be in an optimal position to intervene. There is little information, however, on how adolescents would perceive such interventions.

This study was designed to gain an understanding of adolescents' perceptions about the role of family physicians in health promotion and disease prevention.

Qualitative methodology was used involving focus groups. The groups were conducted in community organizations for youth. Fifty-four adolescents ages 13-17 participated in seven focus groups. Themes were derived from qualitative analysis of the data.

Four themes were found: (i) adolescents are concerned about the potential direct consequences of the health behaviours they engage in; (ii) adolescents use family physicians primarily to address biomedical health issues rather than to discuss non-acute health concerns; (iii) adolescents are reluctant to discuss health concerns with family physicians because they are worried about lack of confidentiality; and (iv) adolescents choose to speak to specific individuals based upon how comfortable they feel talking to them about specific health concerns.

This study found that the adolescents did not see the role of the family physician as a health promoter. The themes help provide family physicians with a better understanding of how adolescents perceive them. With this understanding, improved ways of creating doctor-patient relationships with adolescents may be developed.