[Health care professionals--attitudes towards their own health]

The aim of the study was to investigate differences in health behavior and life habits between physicians and medical nurses as related to their own health.

Study subjects were health professionals from various parts of Croatia attending a scientific meeting, who filled out a special questionnaire (36 males and 178 females). They were divided into two groups according to education and work performed: physicians (n = 125) and medical nurses (n = 89). The questionnaire designed for the study, How medical workers keep their health, was used to estimate the factors influencing their health. The study was performed during 2005.

The results showed that, regardless of education or work, our health professionals did not have healthy life habits. Both physicians and nurses were equally obese (p = 0.423) and physically inactive (p = 0.403). There was a significant difference between these two groups in smoking habits (p = 0.008), occasional alcohol consumption, regularity of breakfast intake (p = 0.019), and number of daily meals (p = 0.047). The following was done for the control of risk factors: laboratory tests of cholesterol and glucose, measurement of blood pressure, dental examination (p = 0.404), prostate examination (p = 0.406), breast self examinations (p = 0.810), mammography (p = 0.289), and Pap test (p = 0.683). None of these factors showed significant between group differences. There was a statistically higher number (64.9%; p < 0.001) of physicians without family physicians than among medical nurses (8.1%).

Medical nurses consulted their family physicians more frequently than doctors, but most physicians were inclined to self treatment. A great proportion of nurses were smokers, whereas many physicians reported alcohol consumption. Physicians used sedatives more than nurses, and their physical activity was better. Nurses had more frequent control laboratory tests of cholesterol and glucose, and measurements of blood pressure. They were also better in the number of daily meals. A vast majority of patients cite their physicians as their primary source of information regarding healthy lifestyle decisions. These findings suggest strategies to improve the physicians' health behavior.