The role of the General Practitioner in weight management in primary care – a cross sectional study in General Practice
2008

The Role of GPs in Weight Management

Sample size: 367 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Tham Marlene, Young Doris

Primary Institution: University of Melbourne

Hypothesis

Why are patients not engaging with their GPs for weight management?

Conclusion

Patients do not trust their GPs for weight management and prefer other health professionals.

Supporting Evidence

  • 74% of patients were not likely to bring up weight management with their GP.
  • 70% of participants believed their GP had a role in managing their weight.
  • Only 14% of patients were told by their GP to lose weight.

Takeaway

Many people who are overweight or obese don't talk to their doctors about it because they don't think their doctors can help.

Methodology

Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire and had physical measurements taken to determine weight status.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to self-reported data and limited sample size.

Limitations

The study was limited to three general practices and may not be generalizable to a wider population.

Participant Demographics

Participants were aged 17 to 64, with a mix of genders and obesity-related co-morbidities.

Statistical Information

P-Value

< 0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2296-9-66

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