Determination of chronic disease prevalence and related factors among physicians in Gaziantep

Purpose: The aim is to determine the prevalence of chronic diseases and associated factors among physicians working in Gaziantep. Materials and Methods: In our study, a questionnaire form was used as the data collection method. The first section of the 18-question questionnaire form, created by researchers through literature review, includes the sociodemographic characteristics of the participating physicians, while the second section of the survey inquires about individuals' chronic disease status and their stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Findings and Conclusion: The prevalence of chronic diseases among physicians was found to be 22.8%. This rate was 25.2% for male physicians and 20% for female physicians. The frequency of chronic disease among resident physicians was 17.3%, 21.8% among general practitioners, and 45.8% among specialist physicians. According to our study, the most common chronic diseases among physicians were hypertension and thyroid diseases, with a prevalence rate of 6.1%. Hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia were found to be more common in male physicians, while thyroid diseases were more common in female physicians. Additionally, it was observed that hypertension was more prevalent among alcohol users, and diabetes was more prevalent among those with a meat-heavy diet. When looking at the risk factors for chronic diseases, the prevalence of smoking among physicians was found to be 20.6%. This rate was 31.5% for male physicians and 8.2% for female physicians. The prevalence of alcohol use among physicians was also found to be 20.6%. Only 38.9% of physicians reported having a balanced diet, and the majority (78.9%) engaged in less than 150 minutes of physical exercise per week. It was concluded that further comprehensive studies are needed in this regard. Keywords: Among physicians, chronic diseases, diabetes, hypertension, thyroid diseases.