International Journal Of Occupational Health and Public Health Nursing

Determinative Factors of being an Effective Health-care Role Model

• [ Download ]
• Times downloaded: 9991

• Abstract

  Healthcare professionals have to deal with multiple roles. They are often considered as role models, regarding health, while they are expected to excel in such behaviors. The purpose of this qualitative and quantitative, cross-sectional study is to identify which factors affect the participants’ lifestyle, how they characterize health-care professionals as health role models and how a health-care professional’s lifestyle influences patient’s behaviors. Specially designed questionnaires were distributed to 204 individuals, including health-care professionals and general public. Nine half-hour, semi-structured interviews were carried during 2013. The IBM SPSS Statistics 22 was used, while results considered being statistically significant for p < 0.05. Almost half of respondents gave a neutral answer, regarding the quality of their lifestyle. Both qualitative and quantitative results showed that health professionals are not role models in Greece, despite being their responsibility. This fact can influence both patients’ confidence to the professional and intention to follow a health advice. However, some participants felt confident when an exceptional professional –regardless if he/she is a role model- consults them. The adoption of a healthy lifestyle is influenced by the economic crisis, which is affected by the level of education, gender, age and completion of health studies. The impact of their unhealthy behaviors to patients and community could be considered as significant.