The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68553

Carla Culley, MPH, Gloria L. Krahn, PhD, MPH, Nancy Wile, PhD, Anne Turner, MS, and Andrew Downs, MA. Oregon Institute on Disability & Development, Oregon Health & Science University, PO Box 574, Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, Portland, OR 97207-0574, 503-494-9557, culleyc@ohsu.edu

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is noted to be a significant contributor to health status. Health care providers can promote healthy lifestyles in the patients they serve; yet little information is available as to how frequently this occurs. The present study modified an existing questionnaire to be appropriate for pediatric and for adult care providers serving persons with disabilities and mailed them to nationally representative samples of 1200 pediatricians ( 384 responses) and 1200 family practice/internal medicine physicians (417 responses). Results indicate that physicians are aware of and responsive to higher risk levels for some health promotion/wellness issues for persons with disabilities (e.g., depression, chronic pain, risk of abuse for children) compared to persons without disabilities, but are less likely to discuss other issues (e.g., smoking, alcohol/drug use, sexual activity) for both adults and adolescents. Pediatricians may be more attentive to health promotion activities than adult care providers, and family practice physicians more so than internal medicine physicians. Gender of provider also reflects differential attention to health promotion. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future research, for teaching of health care providers, and for advocacy by persons with disabilities and disability organizations.

Learning Objectives:

• To become knowledgeable about methods to assess physician health promotion practices
• To learn about current practices of pediatric and adult care physicians
• To understand implications for future research and advocacy.

Keywords: Health Promotion, Child Health Promotion

Related Web page: www.healthwellness.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: none
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.