Preventive activities in primary health care in Stockholm county; Sweden

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Abstract
A survey was conducted, during November 1985, in 110 Stockholm Public Primary Health Care Centres (PHCC) to study ongoing preventive activities. In 71% of the Health Centres there was an awareness of special risk groups in the PHCC area, such as alcohol abusers, elderly people and single parents, and in 40% of more specific risk factors like unemployment and loneliness. Individualised preventive activities were provided in 25% and grouporiented activities in 50% of the health centres. There were great differences between the different regions of Stockholm County and, for example, quit-smoking groups were not distributed according to the geographical needs, i.e. to the areas with the highest prevalence of smokers. Involvement of PHC in community-based preventive activities is still rare but has started in the area of accident prevention in some PHCC. The study also underlines the need for more education as well as suport to increase the element of prevention in primary health care activities.