The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #45382

Gloria L. Krahn, PhD, MPH, Nancy Wile, PhD, Sujin Sabrina Rhee, MA, Andrew Downs, MA, Anne Turner, MS, and Jason Wingert, MS. Oregon Institute on Disability & Development, Oregon Health & Science University, PO Box 574, Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, Portland, OR 97207-0574, (503)494-8364, krahng@ohsu.edu

Maintaining one's health and wellness is essential to being self-sufficient, maintaining independence, and participating fully in society. Previous surveys have documented the professional health promotion practices of primary health care providers for the general population, but there are few studies documenting physician practices in wellness promotion activities for with persons with disabilities.

The present study examines the wellness promotion practices of primary care providers as they relate to adults with physical disabilities compared to their general patient population. A national stratified random sample of two groups of physicians (375 internal medicine and 375 family practice physicians) were surveyed on their practices and attitudes. Specifically, respondents described: (a) their attitudes towards wellness promotion activities (e.g., decreasing cigarette smoking, or drug/alcohol intake, promoting healthy eating habits, decreasing sexual risk taking, referring for screening examinations), (b) their knowledge and health promotion practices relating to patients in their general practice and to patients with physical disabilities , (c) barriers and incentives for engaging in health and wellness promotion activities, and (d) demographic characteristics.

Data analyses procedures address the questions: (1) Are there differences in the amount and type of wellness information given by physicians to persons with vs. without disabilities? (2) What are the common facilitators and barriers to wellness promotion activity by physicians for persons with disabilities? (3) What provider characteristics are predictors of wellness promotion? Finally, this study provides recommendations for research and practice to support health promotion practices for persons with disabilities

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

• identify key health promotion practices for persons with disabilities
• describe frequency of physician practices that support persons with physical disabilities to engage in health promotion practices
• describe factors that facilitate or impede these practices by physicians
• outline training and policy implications of these findings.

Keywords: Health Promotion, Physicians

Related Web page: www.healthwellness.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.