Geriatricians health survey 2000.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize geriatricians' preventive health behaviors including vitamin/supplement use, exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and weight control.


METHODS
Mailed questionnaire.


METHODS
United States.


METHODS
Two thousand six hundred eleven U.S. physicians certified as having added qualifications in geriatric medicine and who were members in the American Geriatrics Society; 1,524 returned completed questionnaires (58%).


METHODS
Rates of supplement use and recommendations, preventive health visits, advance directive completion, exercise, religious service attendance, smoking, alcohol use, and amount of adult weight gain.


RESULTS
Most responding geriatricians took at least one vitamin supplement: 50% vitamin E, 50% a multivitamin (MVI), and 31% vitamin C. Calcium ingestion was common among women. Other supplement use was uncommon: ginkgo compounds were consumed by 47 (3%), and 77 (5%) took a variety of other nonvitamin supplements. Over 90% recommended vitamins, especially multivitamins and vitamin E, at least sometimes. Recommendations for ginkgo (38%) and St. John's wort (33%) were also common. Almost half of respondents had completed a formal advance directive. Exercise was practiced at least weekly by 88%. Cigarette smoking was rare (1%), but at least occasional alcohol use was common (85%). Most of respondents were men (74%), and 35% had completed fellowship training.


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin/supplement use was common among responding geriatricians but not universal. Respondents often recommended MVI, vitamin E, and vitamin C, but were less likely to consume or recommend other supplements. The most common preventive health behavior among our respondents was exercise.
Watts
D
D
Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, USA.
Damasco-Ty
E
E
Ryan
F
F
Goodman
B
B
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage
D014815:Vitamins