Influence of GPs' unhealthy lifestyle on patients' adherence to lifestyle recommendations: a cross-sectional study in Flanders, Belgium.

Background: Research has shown that a physician's lifestyle significantly affects patient adherence to lifestyle advice AIM: This study investigates the influence of general practitioners' (GPs) unhealthy lifestyles on patients' adherence to lifestyle recommendations.

Design & setting: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 19, 2023, to September 12, 2023.Adults living in Flanders or Brussels with sufficient knowledge of Dutch were included.

Method: Through a survey we studied the degree of willingness to follow lifestyle advice from GPs with unhealthy lifestyles. Secondary outcomes included the need for specific lifestyle advice, the feeling of being judged, and its impact on adherence.

Results: Patients were less likely to follow lifestyle advice on smoking cessation (62.3%), alcohol use (64.9%), vaccination (49.7%), and eating habits (51.2%) from GPs exhibiting unhealthy behaviors in these areas. A significant portion (68.8%) indicated they were less likely to follow advice when feeling judged. Older respondents were less likely to adhere to advice from GPs with unhealthy habits and less likely to feel judged (odds ratio 0.973 to 0.979). Higher subjective physical health correlated with lower adherence to advice on physical activity from inactive GPs (odds ratio 0.799).

Conclusions: The lifestyle of GPs appears to affect patients' adherence to lifestyle advice, with unhealthy behaviors leading to decreased patient trust and adherence. Emphasizing the importance of GPs maintaining a healthy lifestyle could enhance patient outcomes in lifestyle-related chronic disease prevention and management.