Lifestyle advice from general practitioners and changes in health-related behaviour in Australia: secondary analysis of 2020-21 National Health Survey data

Lifestyle factors — smoking, alcohol consumption, inadequate dietary levels of fruit and vegetables — are major risk factors for chronic medical conditions.1 The importance of clinicians encouraging people to modify their lifestyles is emphasised in many guidelines.2 A study that included 4716 American adults found that patient-reported lifestyle advice from their doctors was associated with corresponding behavioural changes (weight reduction, increased physical activity).3 How often Australian general practitioners provide their patients with lifestyle advice and whether such advice is effective are unknown.