An assessment of the health behaviour of chronic disease clients and health centres in St. Georges West, Trinidad

ABSTRACT

This study was aimed at assessing the health behaviours of clients through their knowledge, perceptions and practices in relation to diet, exercise, weight control and medication and identifying the factors that impact on those behaviours, including the services offered to clients. The questionnaire survey was administered July-August, 1994 to 230 clients who attended chronic disease clinics at the eight health centres in the country of St. George West, Trinidad. Results revealed that the majority of clients were hypertensive, female pensioners of African descent who were obese with a family history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension or heart disease. The health professionals who were in a position to advise clients about lifestyle changes, did not provide them with sufficient knowledge and skills necessary for the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Clients thought it was important to practise the recommended behaviours and recognised a relationship between health behaviour and health status. However, clients failed to practise the desired behaviours due to other reasons such as insufficient financial resources, inadequate social support and lack of motivation. There was an absence of combined clinical and psychosocial management strategy, and clients' illnesses were being managed by drug therapy only, with little client responsibility for their well-being through the use of non-drug methods. The study identified a need for health professionals to be equipped with communication and counselling skills in relation to diet, exercise and weight control for health promotion/health education programmes for clients' families to reduce the risk to family members and also to create a supportive environment for the clients (AU)