Describe about the Health Professionals for General Public Exhibit.
It is often concluded that healthcare workers compared to the general public exhibit much healthier behaviors because they often give advice to their patients, to be precise in areas of cigarette smoking, binge drinking, and weight control. However, from statistics, it is evident that there are no differences between the general public and healthcare professionals when it comes to lifestyle diseases. The increased prevalence of obesity and overweight is considered a world epidemic. In the healthcare system, nurses are tasked with the responsibility of designing health promotional programs to address this epidemic. However, it is so ironical that obese and overweight is prevalent among healthcare workers (Mahmood et al., 2014). Accordingly, health workers often fair badly regarding smoking cessation and undergoing cancer screenings.
Analysis of Whether Health Professional Practice What They Preach
Mahmood et al. (2014) argue that professionals in the healthcare sector should be healthier than the general public because they have an understanding and knowledge of a wide range of health issues. Besides, their jobs entail promoting a lifestyle that is healthier. Nonetheless, the public acknowledges the fact that the nature of their job is not conducive to lead a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, the legacy of binge drinking from medical school is also one of the reasons why health professionals find it difficult to lead a healthy way of life (Terebessy et al., 2016).
As evidenced from the introductory paragraph, healthcare professionals do not practice what they preach. Despite the fact that they are supposed to set an example for the public in regards to healthy behaviors and healthy weight, they often fail in doing so. According to (Mahmood et al., 2010), overweight and obesity are prevalent among healthcare professionals just like in the general population. According to a study conducted in the United States, it was concluded that 40% of pediatricians were either obese or overweight (Jiménez-Cruz & Bacardí-Gascón, 2006). A similar study was carried out among Mexican physicians, and it showed that a larger percentage of physicians, to be precise 74% were either obese or overweight (Perrin, Flower & Ammerman, 2005). The burden of overweight and obesity is also prevalent among nurses. Taking an example of Tonga and the United States, the number of nurses suffering from overweight and obese is 39.8% and 82.4% respectively (Zhu, Norman & While, 2011). Apart from being overweight, healthcare professionals are also engaged in smoking and binge drinking. However, their actions are attributable to a wide range of factors including:
The shortage of healthcare workers results in increased workload and consequently nurse burnout. Chronic stress is often linked to obesity, cancer, and depression. Therefore, healthcare professionals, to be precise nurses need adequate rest to maintain themselves rather than just being concerned with the well-being of patients. According to a survey conducted by Rajan (2014), work-related pressures including shortage in human resources, heavy workloads, and bureaucracy were the leading causes of stress in their life. These factors also affect their mental and physical health as well as their well-being. Other factors that contribute to their increased stress levels include a large number of patients that seek medical attention. As a result, health professionals are compelled to work long hours to meet challenging targets. Healthcare providers take care of patients with different ailments. For this reason, their job is emotional in nature contributing to poor health.
Working in shift
Lin et al. (2014) define shift work as working outside morning hours including night and evening work as well as rotating schedules. The author also links shift work to various types of cancer, diabetes, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and gastrointestinal disease. The mechanisms used to connect health problems with shift work are not clear. However, behavior and lifestyle changes including smoking and diet as well as stress, sleep problems, and changes in circadian rhythm are the reason behind the earlier mentioned health problems. Equally, weight gain among healthcare professionals is attributable to inadequate sleep. Healthcare professionals, to be precise nurses find it difficult to sleep for eight hours given the nature of their job. Shift work also makes it challenging for health professionals to eat healthily and engage in physical activities.
Stigma
A majority of healthcare professionals cite confidentiality and stigma as the main obstacle towards accessing quality healthcare services. They are greatly concerned about the impact of seeking medical help on their careers. In fact, some believe that that they will be stigmatized if they confess to having a mental illness or an addiction problem.
A doctor’s lifestyle considerably affects the care given to the patients. Initially, patients accepted doctor’s recommendations without questioning. However, this trend is breaking down because patients do not readily implement a health advice that does not mirror the lifestyle of the healthcare provider (Mahmood et al., 2014). Health professionals who are involved in heavy drinking, smoking or are obese find it difficult to provide heath advice to patients suffering from the same conditions because they do not practice what they preach. Therefore, their unhealthy lifestyles jeopardize their authority when providing advice on such matters.
Healthcare professionals are supposed to be professional, competent, and trustworthy. Whenever a patient visits a doctor’s room, he/she must feel confident that the physician has addressed his/her health problem as well as listened to him/her. Patients should also be able to discuss their personal concerns, drinking, or eating habits with their doctor. However, a general practitioner lifestyle can hinder their effectiveness in advising patients accordingly. For instance, an obese or overweight doctor might find it challenging to diagnose obese or overweight clients compared to their counterparts. Healthcare professionals with normal body mass index find it easier to discuss with their obese patients about losing weight and being physically active.
Based on the above discussions, it is evident that health professionals just like the general public suffer from various illnesses including heart diseases, diabetes, and obesity. This is attributable to the fact that the same environmental and societal factors that contribute to the increased rate of chronic illness among the general public also affects workers in the healthcare sector. As such, it is clear that nobody, whether the general public or healthcare worker is completely immune to issues the triggers unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (Kramer & Son, 2016). Even though healthcare professionals have firsthand experience and knowledge with the outcomes of unhealthy lifestyles, they understand that good health and healthy habits are essential in enhancing the well-being of an individual though they are hard to come by (Hernandez, 2016). In addition to being health professionals, they are men and women who are susceptible to the same social and environmental influences as other individuals in the population.
Conclusion
From research, it is evident that health professionals do not practice what they preach. However, this is attributable to a wide range of factors including work shift, the drinking culture that characterizes medical schools, and stress related to their work. For instance, the nature of their job does not provide them with adequate time to engage in physical activity or eat a healthy diet. Regardless the challenges they encounter in their profession, health professionals must act as role models to the public at large. Focusing on their personal health play an essential role in improving the overall health of the public because they will be triggered to modify their lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight based on their doctors’ instructions. Future research needs to focus on how health professionals can enhance their well-being regardless their busy schedules.
References
Hernandez, S. L. (2016). The Impact of Shift Work on Employee Health. Professional Safety, 61(3), 24-35.
Jiménez-Cruz, A., & Bacardí-Gascón, M. (2006). Perception of Overweight By Mexican Physicians And Teachers. Diabetes Care, 29: 23-56.
Kramer, A., & Son, J. (2016). Who Cares about the Health of Health Care Professionals? An 18-Year Longitudinal Study of Working Time, Health, and Occupational Turnover. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 69(4), 939-960. doi:10.1177/0019793916640492
Lin, S., Liao, W., Chen, M., & Fan, J. (2014). The impact of shift work on nurses’ job stress, sleep quality and self-perceived health status. Journal of Nursing Management, 22(5), 604-612. doi:10.1111/jonm.12020
Mahmood, S., Najjad, M.K, Ali, N., Yousuf, N., & Hamid, Y. (2010). Predictors Of Obesity Among Post Graduate Trainee Doctors Working In A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Public Sector In Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, 60(2): 758-761.
Mahmood, S., Relton, C., Freeman, J., & Croot, E.(2014). Do Healthcare Professionals Practice What They Preach in Reality. Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy, 3(1): 50-65.
Perrin, E.M, Flower, K.B, & Ammerman, A.S. (2005). Pediatricians’ Own Weight: Self-Perception, Misclassification, and Ease of Counseling. Obesity Review, 13: 326-332.
Rajan, D. (2014). Awareness About Impact Of Work Stress: A Comparative Study Among Nurses. Global Management Review, 8(4): 13-23.
Terebessy, A., Czeglédi, E., Balla, B. C., Horváth, F., & Balázs, P. (2016). Medical students’ health behaviour and self-reported mental health status by their country of origin: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry, 161-169. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0884-8
Zhu, D., Norman, I.J, While, A.E. (2011). The Relationship between Health Professionals’ Weight Status and Attitudes towards Weight Management: A Systematic Review. Obesity Review, 12(2): 324-337.
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