Morbidity, demography and life style of Hungarian medical doctors 25 years after graduation

Abstract

The health status and social circumstances of medical professionals have been studied worldwide. However, there are only a few published studies pertaining to these topics in the countries of the former Eastern block. The present paper aimed at charting the state of health, the medical career path and some sociological factors of Hungarian medical doctors who graduated in 1979. The results were analysed for differences between genders and professional specialty groups (primary, surgical, non-surgical, and diagnostic), respectively. Two-hundred and twenty-eight doctors who graduated in 1979 at Semmelweis Medical University in Budapest, Hungary, were asked to fill out a questionnaire on these topics. More men were in surgical professions, whereas a larger proportion of women became primary specialists. Women had to modify their specialty or place of work more often than men. The average number of children was 2.26 for men and 1.87 for women. The highest increases in body weight were registered in primary specialist men and non-surgical women. Hypertension and failure to attend regular screenings were more common in males and they were not always treated properly. Physical exercise, typically sports, were reduced after graduation, furthermore the preferred types of activity also changed after graduation. Female physicians considered regular exercise more important. Smokers were mainly amongst surgical specialist men and women working in primary care. Surgical professionals and women in non-surgical specialties consumed more alcoholic beverages. As patients, male physicians followed medical advice more faithfully. Doctors judged their own health status to be better than that of their patients. The knowledge of foreign languages was higher in men. Ten percent of physicians received a postgraduate degree in research.