Characterization of some habits and diseases of Costa Rican doctors

Abstract

Background: To determine the morbidity and habits among Costa Rican medical doctors.

Methods: Descriptive and retrospective study based on a survey which was applied by the modified interview system and the non-probabilistic sampling.

Results: 724 surveys were obtained. These documents showed a 2,5:1 proportion between men and women, the majority married (75%), half of them working in San José, more specialists than general practitioners (48.5% vrs. 40.6%) and the majority working only in clinical practice (78.6%). Fifty per cent were non-drinkers and between the drinkers 29,6% admitted to drink only moderate amounts. Two thirds of the interviewed did not smoke, but the third that did smoked ten or more cigarettes per day. Nearly 5% of the interviewed reported to be consumers of psychotropic or narcotic drugs, the majority for an average of 7.6 years. Two thirds of the doctors practiced some type of exercise, but most of them in low intensities and only during the weekends.

Regarding diseases 46.5% of men and 44.3% of women reported some type of illness. The specialists were more unhealthy (60.9%). The main pathologies reported were allergic problems and hipertension. An important number of young doctors reported to have metabolic derrangements. Eight per cent reported some disability, the majority were specialists and were hospital employees.

Conclusion: An important amount of liquor and tobacco consumption and chronic illnesses were observed among costa rican physicians. This could interfere with their professional performance, in the quality of the use of resources of the health system and mainly, in their own quality of life.