Physicians' ability to influence the life-style behaviors of diabetic patients: implications for social work.
Diabetes is aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle, obesity and smoking. Based on a theoretical model relating attitudes and behavior, this study examined the association between physicians' self efficacy in counseling diabetic patients on life style behaviors and their counseling practices. Data were gathered from a representative sample of 743 primary care physicians in Israel's two largest health plans. The main findings were that only a small percentage of physicians felt capable of influencing their patients' life-style behaviors. Self-efficacy had an independent effect on the likelihood of counseling diabetic patients on life style behaviors, controlling for other background variables. We conclude that there is a need for enhancing physicians' life-style counseling skills, and that social workers could expand their role by training physicians to counsel effectively. This could both improve the care of diabetic patients, and strengthen the status of the social work profession in the healthcare system.
Gross
Revital
R
The Smokler Center for Health Policy Research, Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, P.O.B. 3886, Jerusalem 91037, Israel. Revital@jdc.org.il
Tabenkin
Hava
H
Heymann
Anthony
A
Greenstein
Miriam
M
Matzliach
Ronit
R
Porath
Avi
A
Porter
Basil Boaz
BB
D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012947:Social Work; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires