Table 4.

Health knowledge, attitudes and behaviour among SHIELD high-risk respondents by attitude subgroups (Doing, Should and Don’t)

Topic (%)	Already Doing It (Doing) n = 2896† (%)	I Know I Should (Should) n = 2149† (%)	Don't Bother Me (Don’t) n = 341† (%)
Knowledge
1. I have heard about metabolic syndrome or syndrome X1*	5.5	3.5	5.9
2. I understand what metabolic syndrome or syndrome X is1*	5.1	2.8	5.1
3. Diabetes is only a sugar disease1*	3.8	2.3	12.0
4. Type 2 diabetes is not as serious as type 1 diabetes1*	3.4	2.3	8.3
5. The inability to keep weight off is due to a hormone or metabolism problem1*	5.2	3.7	11.4
6. Obesity could aggravate or contribute to the onset of chronic diseases1*	56.0	39.0	51.9
Attitude
7. I expect my health to get worse1*	5.4	5.9	18.0
8. I seem to get sick a little easier than other people1*	4.5	4.8	10.1
9. How concerned are you that your health problems will get worse over time?2*	27.0	26.3	35.8
10. Would you say your health is excellent, very good, good, fair or poor?3*	26.8	38.0	53.5
11. Compared with 12 months ago, how would you rate your health today?4*	21.0	25.2	32.8
Behaviour
Medication taking
12. Willing to take medication to prevent chronic disease1*	56.4	39.1	47.1
13. Prefer taking medications rather than change my lifestyle1*	2.3	3.6	12.8
14. Vary how take prescription medications depending on how I feel5*	10.8	16.6	29.9
15. How often refill prescription medications on time?6*	92.7	89.8	84.3
16. How often ration medications (skip dose to help prescription last longer)?7*	21.6	29.9	32.9
17. Stopped taking medications against doctors’ instructions during the past 12 months8*	90.4	87.2	86.9
Exercise
18. Healthcare provider recommended an increase in amount of exercise in past 12 months8*	48.9	38.0	43.2
19. Current exercise routine, exercise some or regularly*	78.6	58.6	48.5
Diet
20. Healthcare provider recommended change in diet in the last 12 months8*	56.9	48.2	51.0
21. During the last 12 months, have you tried to lose weight?8*	25.8	30.4	35.8
22. Have you maintained your desired weight for more than 6 months?8*	67.5	75.0	75.1
23. If no, do you believe that it is due to what you eat and how much you exercise?8	13.0	11.6	12.5
24. If no, do you believe it is due to an undiagnosed hormone or metabolism problem?*	55.1	55.2	51.3
25. How often do you follow an eating plan prescribed by a physician, nutritionist or dietician?9*	17.9	8.2	9.5
26. How often do you try to make healthy choices about what you eat?9*	83.1	56.3	48.4
27. How often do you eat breakfast?9*	75.0	62.8	59.1
Alcohol and tobacco behaviour
28. Alcohol consumption, ≥ 5 drinks per day in past 4 weeks	7.0	6.7	10.9
29. Smoking history, never smoked*	45.7	45.7	44.3

*p < 0.01 for ANOVA comparison across all three groups. †n varies slightly per question.

1 = agree strongly;

2 = very concerned;

3 = fair or poor;

4 = somewhat or much worse;

5 = agree strongly or somewhat;

6 = almost always or always;

7 = a little to all of the time;

8 = no and

9 = most of the time to always.