Effects of Group Education by Primary Care Physicians on the Readiness to Change in Heavy Drinkers

Background: Patient education can play an important role in motivating patients to change their problematic behavior. This study purposed to evaluate the effects of brief group education, which was performed by primary care physicians, on the improvement of the readiness to change in problem drinkers after a year from the education. Methods: A total of 34 male were followed up as the subjects who had been problem drinkers and at the stage of precontemplation or contemplation before group education. The readiness to change in the subjects was re-evaluated again 12 weeks and a year after the brief group education. Results: Before the education, 11 patients among the subjects were at the stage of precontemplation and 23 at the contemplation. The distribution was significantly changed into 2 at the stage of precontemplation, 14 at the contemplation and 18 at the action 12 weeks after the group education (P < 0.001), and into 2 at the precontemplation, 16 at the contem-plation, and 16 at the action a year after the group education (P < 0.001). The most influential factor associated with the improvement of the status of readiness to change was the family function score (after 12 weeks odds ratio 1.99, 95% CI 1.10-3.62; after a year odds ratio 2.31, 95% CI 1.10-4.85). Conclusion: Problem drinkers who had participated in the brief group education by primary care physicians showed continuous improvement in the readiness to change even after a year from the education.