Shift work and activity levels, for example, might differ by occupation within the health field and influence lifestyle behaviors, noted Dr. Dubnov-Raz, who wasn’t involved in the study.
Even so, doctors, nurses, and other health professionals will set an example that patients may follow, making their lifestyle behaviors important in a public health context, Dr. Erica Frank, a researcher at the University of British Columbia who wasn’t involved in the study, told Reuters Health by email.
“We aren’t just docs, we are still also women and men, and are subject to the same environmental and social influences as are others,” Dr. Frank said. “We tend to preach to patients what we practice ourselves—so we should be thoughtful about that and not compromise patient care because we can’t square it with our behavior.”
