Xiaoqi Feng|Federico Girosi|Ian McRae
People with multiple unhealthy lifestyles are less likely to consult primary healthcare
Western Sydney University|Western Sydney University|Australian National University
behavioural interventions often implemented within primary healthcare settings prevent type 2 diabetes lifestylerelated diseases although smoking alcohol consumption physical inactivity poor diet associated poorer health may lead person consult general practitioner gp previous work shown unhealthy lifestyles cluster among low socioeconomic groups less likely seek primary healthcare therefore uncertain whether behavioural interventions primary healthcare reaching need study investigated patterns gp consultations relation clustering unhealthy lifestyles among large sample adults aged 45 years older new south wales australiaa total 267153 adults participated 45 study 2006 2009 comprising 10 equivalent demographic state new south wales australia response rate 18 consultations gps within 6 months prior post survey completion identified many respondents attending multiple gps via linkage medicare australia data index unhealthy lifestyles constructed selfreport data adherence published guidelines smoking alcohol consumption diet physical activity logistic zerotruncated negative binomial regression models used analyse whether person least one gp consultation within study period ii count gp consultations attended participant visited gp least analyses adjusted measures health status socioeconomic circumstances confoundersafter adjustment participants scoring 7 unhealthy lifestyles 24 likely persons scoring 0 unhealthy lifestyles attended gp consultation 12month time period among attended least one consultation 7 unhealthy lifestyles reported 7 fewer consultations persons 0 unhealthy lifestyles effect modification observedto optimise prevention lifestylerelated diseases interventions positive behavioural change need incorporate nonprimary healthcare settings order reach people multiple unhealthy lifestyles