[Do health workers practice what they preach? A study of knowledge, opinions and practices of health care professionals, with respect to their own health, in Madagascar].
In this study, a questionnaire was used to study the individual behavior of a sample of fifty health workers, doctors and nurses from Tamatave (Madagascar) with respect to a number of current health issues. We used the results to assess the impact and efficacy of previous training and to obtain information about the extent to which health staff actually follow the recommendations and standards that they are given and expected to teach, as far as their own health is concerned. It was clear that the standard management procedures and instructions concerning basic health-preserving behavior were far from being universally accepted and followed by health workers themselves. This was the case even for common diseases and health issues for which specific training had been given, such as malaria, diarrhea, AIDS and STDs, tobacco use, HBP management and the use of antibiotics. More attention should be paid to involving health workers in their training programs so that they are really convinced by the recommendations given. So long as most health workers are not themselves committed to the recommendations and have inadequate behavior regarding their own health, they are unlikely to be effective at promoting good health practice.
Comolet
T M
TM
Direction de la santé de la ville de Conakry, BP 570, Conakry, Guinée.
Rakotomalala
R
R
Tsimaniry
C A
CA
D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008270:Madagascar; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires