At the medical faculty in Brno we succeeded in combining the public health improvement project with the practical education of preventive medicine of medical students. The project "Know and improve your health" should enable individual estimation of the risk factors in people involved and, most of all, effectively decrease the risks by individual modification of their lifestyle. Until now, 1.588 participants were examined in the framework of the project and 147 medical students were actively involved during their preventive care rotations. Among the identified risk factors, the most prevalent were low physical activity (79% females and 75% males), imperfect nutrition (approx. 45% females and 65% males), increased level of blood cholesterol (33% females and 47% males), overweight and obesity (30 % females and 45% males), excessive alcohol intake (3% females and 30% males), increased blood pressure (19% females and 31% males) and smoking (22% females and 27% males). The efficiency of the intervention is determined by sending brief anonymous questionnaire to the participants after several months following the examination. We received 54% of the questionnaires back. 87% of respondents state change in their knowledge, opinions and attitudes as an effect of the project, 86% state their effort to change their lifestyle and 71% successfully realized change in their lifestyle. Students taking part in the project are influenced in the sense of "Broader application of preventive methods in their future medical practice" (79% probably, 21% definitely). Positive effect is perceived as beneficial above average by 62% of students for themselves and 59% for examined persons. 96% of students and 100% of involved people think the project should go on in future. Participation in the real preventive program seems to be very effective form in the study of preventive medicine.

Institute of Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic