Background: The aim of the EUROPREVIEW study was to explore patients' beliefs about primary care prevention, to assess their needs to make changes in lifestyle and their willingness to receive support from GPs.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in 22 European countries with 10 practices each that consecutively included 40 patients between 30 and 70 years. Validity of the structured questionnaire was evaluated by pilot testing after translation und back-translation for every country. This explorative analysis compared German data on lifestyle factors like smoking, body weight and physical activity to those from other European countries.
Results: There were no differences in patients' needs for changes in unhealthy habits and the views of patients that GPs initiated a discussion on lifestyle factors. In Germany significantly less patients wish to receive advice by their GP [eating habits 41.1 (Germany %) vs. 66.6 (other countries %), physical activity 31.0 vs. 57.0, body weight 44.1 vs. 67.1, smoking 49.1 vs. 63.3, alcohol 43.5 vs. 55.9].
Conclusion: Further research should firstly adress the reasons for the low demand by German patients for health advice on lifestyle factors and, if necessary, secondly evaluate the opportunities for a better range of preventive services in primary care.
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