title: Obesity, smoking and hazardous drinking among men admitted to the surgical wards of a regional hospital.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of obesity, smoking and hazardous drinking, and identify opportunities for their reduction, among men admitted to the surgical wards of a regional hospital. A random sample of 80 patients were interviewed. Nineteen per cent were obese, 29% smoked and 16% drank hazardously. Forty-seven per cent and 52% of those who were obese or smokers, respectively, had tried unsuccessfully to reduce their weight or smoking before admission, but mostly without professional support. A further 13% wanted to reduce their smoking but had not tried. Fifty-five per cent continued to try or still wanted to reduce these factors 3 months after discharge. Obesity and smoking could be common among male surgical inpatients in regional hospitals, a significant proportion of whom may welcome professional help with improving their lifestyle, but a larger multi-hospital study is needed to confirm this.
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Ballarat Health Services, Ballarat, Victoria.
authors.forename: Hedley G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Peach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012423:Rural Health; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology