Obesity, smoking and hazardous drinking among men admitted to the surgical wards of a regional hospital.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of obesity, smoking and hazardous drinking, and identify opportunities for their reduction, among men admitted to the surgical wards of a regional hospital. A random sample of 80 patients were interviewed. Nineteen per cent were obese, 29% smoked and 16% drank hazardously. Forty-seven per cent and 52% of those who were obese or smokers, respectively, had tried unsuccessfully to reduce their weight or smoking before admission, but mostly without professional support. A further 13% wanted to reduce their smoking but had not tried. Fifty-five per cent continued to try or still wanted to reduce these factors 3 months after discharge. Obesity and smoking could be common among male surgical inpatients in regional hospitals, a significant proportion of whom may welcome professional help with improving their lifestyle, but a larger multi-hospital study is needed to confirm this.