Early progress report of practical experience with lifestyle programmes in a suburban population

Lifestyle of individuals and families is now postulated to be one of the major determinants of morbidity and mortality in the Australian community. Experimental (lifestyle) programmes using techniques of physical screening of volunteers, group and individual counselling, and mass-media health promotion have been tried and evaluated during the past five years. The results have shown that it is possible to encourage and achieve behavioural and attitudinal changes in the short term for a range of lifestyle problems. Behaviour in relation to cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption has proved very difficult to alter. Physical screening was found to be much more expensive and no more effective than much simpler education and group-involvement programmes. The programmes have been reorganized to take account of these results, with new emphases being given to parents and children and the role of the doctor, as well as various adult programmes. The aims of these programmes are to prevent the establishment of harmful lifestyles as well as to change the behaviour of those who have already established poor lifestyles.