Health and lifestyle surveys: beyond health status indicators

In 1992/3 a health and lifestyle postal survey was conducted among 10,000 people in Cheshire and Wirral. The findings indicate that many respon dents want to adopt healthier lifestyles in relation to diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption, but they encounter barriers to this which include: lack of will power, enjoyment of unhealthy behaviour, the influence of others, cost and the positive health effects of certain behaviours, such as the alleviation of stress in relation to smoking and drinking. In light of this and other findings, this paper concludes that future health and lifestyle research surveys must supplement health status information by investigating barriers to lifestyle change, if the strategies they inform are to prove successful.