[Promoting Health Promotion: Medical students perceptions about an educational program on behavioral change in primary care].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether a training program offered by family physicians in the official medical curriculum on principles and strategies to help patients change risk behaviours (HPCRB), produces changes in perceptions, opinions, and attitudes regarding this type of intervention.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental before-after study.

SETTING

A School of Medicine.

PARTICIPANTS

All students in their 4th year (n=110).

INTERVENTIONS

Experiential training course on communicative strategies for HPCRB.

MEASUREMENTS

Opinions and perceptions were evaluated before and after the course using an ad hoc survey.

RESULTS

After the course, students (n=103) changed their ideas about motivation as an 'internal' (15, 13%) to 'internal-external' factor (71, 61%) (P=.003), reinforcing their opinions about the clinician's ability for HPCRB (high: 72, 62%; low: 10, 12%; P=.008). They considered themselves more capable to respect patient autonomy when they make decisions or follow harmful behaviours (easy: 58, 50%; difficult: 28, 24%; P=.001), and increased their perception of their ability to cope with this type of interview (83, 72% vs. 1, 1%; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This training course seems to contribute to creating positive perceptions and attitudes in students, as regards key aspects when conducting an interview for HPCRB. This is a key preliminary aspect to implement this type of strategy.