Occupational Physicians' Behavioral Determinants Regarding Prevention and the Association With Time Allocated to...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Physician Practice Management

Background:

• Preventive care is crucial for mitigating work-related health issues.
• The time Dutch occupational physicians (OPs) allocate to preventive tasks remains largely unquantified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the attitudes, social influence, and self-efficacy (ASE) of OPs concerning preventive tasks.
• To determine the association between ASE determinants and the time OPs dedicate to preventive activities.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 227 OPs.
• Questionnaire data collected on ASE determinants and time allocation for preventive tasks.
• Multivariable linear regression analysis, adjusted for covariates.

Main Results:

• OPs allocated roughly 10% of their professional time to preventive tasks.
• Physicians reported positive attitudes towards prevention but demonstrated low self-efficacy.
• No significant association was identified between ASE factors and the time invested in preventive tasks.

Conclusions:

• Findings indicate a disconnect between OPs' perceptions and their time allocation for preventive activities.
• Further research is needed to explore influencing factors and the roles of various stakeholders in enhancing preventive care delivery.