Table 1 Factor arrays: scores against each factor by item

Once someone’s on a statin, getting them to change their lifestyles is less important.

It’s better to put people on statins as healthy lifestyles don’t really reduce cardiovascular risk.

Most people have heard it all before so lifestyle advice on its own isn’t very effective.

Lifestyle change is too difficult and so it’s better to put people on statins.

Health trainers and health educators can relate to people from deprived backgrounds in a way that healthcare providers can’t.

Healthcare providers who smoke give smokers an easier time than those that don’t.

In general people don’t know how to make lifestyle changes so it’s better if healthcare providers tell them what to do.

Patients should be given the opportunity to lower their cholesterol/BP by lifestyle change before being put on medication.

Listening to people’s problems and helping them to resolve their problems, is a worthwhile part of lifestyle change support.

When a practice can offer an in-house weight management clinic, there’s little point referring patients elsewhere.

It’s unfair that people from more deprived areas are given more resources to help them change their lifestyles.

Suggesting ways to overcome barriers to lifestyle change is more productive than working with patients to get them to identify their own solutions.

Patients don’t tend to listen to what healthcare providers say about lifestyle change.

The GP/nurse can only do so much because takeaways and supermarkets have a much bigger influence on peoples eating habits.

For people who don’t want to change their lifestyle, it’s better to say ‘my door is always open’ than spend ages discussing their problems.

People should take personal responsibility and sort their own lifestyles out instead of expecting others to do it for them.

Barriers to lifestyle change are mainly just excuses.

It costs too much to eat a healthy diet.

It’s up to the patient to tell me if there are any specific reasons why they can’t try to change their lifestyles.

Identifying and working through peoples’ personal barriers to lifestyle change can make a difference to whether or not they actually try to change.

People who don’t know about healthy lifestyles probably aren’t interested anyway.

Checking on peoples’ emotional status should be a routine part of a cardiovascular health check.

There’s no point discussing lifestyle change with people who are stressed or depressed.

Patients are more likely to take notice of lifestyle advice if the healthcare provider sets a good example themselves.

People are too busy to cook healthy meals or exercise.

Getting a partner on side is an important part of supporting people to change their lifestyle.

It’s pointless living a healthy lifestyle because we are all going to die of something anyway.

If patients don’t understand what they’ve been told about lifestyle change and cardiovascular risk they will ask the healthcare professional to explain it.

Educated people find it easier to change their lifestyles.

There’s no point going over stuff if people don’t want to change.

If you know a patient well you know how much or little information they need.

Some people are beyond help.

Barriers to lifestyle change are hard to overcome so it’s best to stick to standard healthy lifestyle advice.

It’s better to go softly with the truth (e.g. play down the risk of cardiovascular disease) so that people aren’t put off coming back.

Because very few people are successful at making lifestyle change, discussing it in any depth isn’t worth it.

Understanding the impact of social factors leads to better discussions on lifestyle change.