Weight assessment and the provision of weight management advice in primary care: a cross-sectional survey of self-reported practice among general practitioners and practice nurses in the United Kingdom

Table 5 What advice or referrals did GPs and PNs provide always or often (vs less often) in weight management advice in the past year?

Advice or referral activities	Overall		PN¹		GPs²		Chi-Square
Advice or referral activities	%	n	%	n	%	n	χ²	p
*Advice*
Increase physical activity	93	1879	91	926	95	953	9.48	0.002
Diet modification	89	1801	88	893	90	908	2.70	n.s.
Arrange follow-up appointment to discuss	49	979	60	609	37	370	109.08	< 0.001
Provide information leaflet	46	939	66	670	27	269	313.23	< 0.001
Keep food diary	32	649	41	415	23	234	72.04	< 0.001
*Referral*
Refer to external exercise referral scheme	26	514	27	274	24	240	2.67	n.s.
Refer to NHS weight management programme external to practice	24	475	26	262	21	213	5.99	0.014
Refer to external dietician/healthy eating course	23	458	25	253	20	205	5.96	0.015
Refer to internal dietician/healthy eating course	20	405	23	232	17	173	10.10	0.001
Refer to NHS weight management programme in practice	17	336	22	225	11	111	45.05	< 0.001
Refer to commercial weight loss programme	14	286	17	173	11	113	14.12	< 0.001
Refer to internal exercise referral scheme	13	270	17	174	10	96	25.22	< 0.001
Provide prescription (e.g. Orlistat / Xenical / Alli)	7	146	5	50	10	96	16.02	< 0.001

Notes
Base = All participants; Data and analyses are weighted by country
All data coded Always/Often vs. Less often (e.g. Sometimes, Occasionally, Never); % shown are those providing Always/often
¹ = Practice Nurse.
² = General Practitioner.
n.s. non-significant (p > 0.05)

ISSN: 2731-4553