Surgeons and preventive health: a mixed methods study of current practice, beliefs and attitudes influencing health promotion activities amongst public hospital surgeons.

The findings suggests that the majority of public hospital surgeons engage in routine preventive health advice at a low level. The high volume of non-admitted surgical consultations undertaken annually, coupled with medium to high self-reported knowledge and confidence in addressing behavioural risk factors, support an increased involvement of surgeons in preventive health practice.