A study on the level of knowledge of health matters among patients in a rural practice.

Abstract

How much do patients know about everyday matters that can affect their health? A study of 200 patients attending a rural G.P. surgery was undertaken to find out. It revealed some ignorance about the link between smoking and heart disease especially among female smokers (22% for this group). It showed a great deal of ignorance about alcohol in relation to health. Patients had a poor understanding of the relative alcohol content of different beverages, diseases related to excessive drinking and safe limits of alcohol consumption.