Greeks lax about following doctors’ orders
Greeks may carry out routine health checks on a regular basis, but they are lax when it comes to doctors’ orders or basic prevention measures, according to a recent survey carried out by Greece’s National School of Public Health.
It found that 75 percent of respondents had a general checkup in the year prior to the survey and 12.7 percent in the previous two years, while just 1.9 percent had never undergone a checkup.
However, almost 10 percent of people older than 40 had never had their cholesterol levels tested, and 20.6 percent of respondents over 50 said they rarely if ever had their blood pressure check and only 30.8 percent had had a colonoscopy.
Moreover, 39.4 percent of respondents suffering from chronic ailments admitted to finding it hard to comply with doctors’ orders for a healthier lifestyle. When it comes to a recommended diet, 12.3 percent rarely comply, 14.7 percent comply sometimes and 20.8 percent most of the time.
Another interesting finding was that while 33 percent of respondents consider the Health Ministry the most suitable body for raising public awareness regarding prevention against 7.9 percent for pharmacists, the ministry came last in terms of who citizens trust most to dispense public information.
