Geriatricians Health Survey 2000

Abstract

To characterize geriatricians' preventive health behaviors including vitamin/supplement use, exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and weight control. Mailed questionnaire. United States. Two thousand six hundred eleven U.S. physicians certified as having added qualifications in geriatric medicine and who were members in the American Geriatrics Society; 1,524 returned completed questionnaires (58%). Rates of supplement use and recommendations, preventive health visits, advance directive completion, exercise, religious service attendance, smoking, alcohol use, and amount of adult weight gain. Most responding geriatricians took at least one vitamin supplement: 50% vitamin E, 50% a multivitamin (MVI), and 31% vitamin C. Calcium ingestion was common among women. Other supplement use was uncommon: ginkgo compounds were consumed by 47 (3%), and 77 (5%) took a variety of other nonvitamin supplements. Over 90% recommended vitamins, especially multivitamins and vitamin E, at least sometimes. Recommendations for ginkgo (38%) and St. John's wort (33%) were also common. Almost half of respondents had completed a formal advance directive. Exercise was practiced at least weekly by 88%. Cigarette smoking was rare (1%), but at least occasional alcohol use was common (85%). Most of respondents were men (74%), and 35% had completed fellowship training. Vitamin/supplement use was common among responding geriatricians but not universal. Respondents often recommended MVI, vitamin E, and vitamin C, but were less likely to consume or recommend other supplements. The most common preventive health behavior among our respondents was exercise.