The views of general practitioners in Iran about prevention and health promotion and related obstacles in clinical practice

To explore the awareness and attitudes of Iranian GPs in implementing evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention recommendations in primary care and to describe GPs' perceived barriers to implementing these recommendations.Our survey was carried out in 2007 in a random sample of GPs listed from an educational symposiums held for general practitioners. We developed and pre-tested a questionnaire, it was piloted with 417 GPs in general practitioners educational symposiums attending all parts of Iran. Those who did not respond received follow-up mailings and/or telephone calls. Our data management center started data entry and analyzing as soon as the questionnaires were sent back. Discrete variables were expressed as percentages and were compared with the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Continuous variables were compared by means of the unpaired, two-sided t test. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software Version 13. Statistical significance was accepted for P0.05.Four hundred and seventeen GPs participated in the study. Although they believe they should advise preventive and health promotion activities, in practice, they are less likely to do so. The two most important barriers reported were weak patients' interest in screening tests no reimbursement for GPs. Associations between personal health behaviour and attitudes to health promotion or activities in prevention were found. GPs who exercised felt that they were more effective in helping patients to practice regular physical exercise than sedentary GPs. (P0.001).Significant gaps between GP's knowledge and practices persist in the use of evidence-based recommendations for health promotion and disease prevention in primary care.