Social and family-related correlates of medical care utilization by asthmatic children in Upper Silesia, Poland
Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2012, Vol 19, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: Studies on childhood asthma demonstrate socioeconomic disparities in medical care utilization. A lack of information for Poland prompted our investigation into this question. Its goal was to discover if the utilization of medical services by asthmatic children depends on social and family factors.Methods: Subjects were 186 children with physician-diagnosed asthma, identified through a questionnaire survey of 4,535 school children in Katowice District, Poland. Utilization of medical care was assessed by such past year events as medical visits (44.0%), any diagnostic test (35.4%) and spirometry (30.6%). Association of those events with socioeconomic variables was explored by means of logistic regression, according to the criterion p< 0.1.Results: After adjustment for disease severity and gender medical visits were related to younger age (p=0.009), family history of respiratory diseases (p=0.08) and rural residence (p=0.09), any diagnostic tests to younger age (p=0.08), smaller number of siblings (p=0.01) and rural residence (p=0.004); spirometry to smaller number of siblings (p=0.09) and rural residence (p=0.006).Conclusion: Clinical status and age are important determinants of utilization of medical services by asthmatic children. The effects of rural residence and family size may reflect a more attentive response to the needs of a sick child.
Authors and Affiliations
Jan E. Zejda, Grzegorz M. Brożek, Małgorzata Farnik, Irena Smółka
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP80443
- DOI -
- Views 138
- Downloads 0
Analysis of high allergenicity airborne pollen dispersion: common ragweed study case in Lithuania
The appearance of ragweed pollen in the air became more frequent in northerly countries. Attention of allergologists and aerobiologists in these countries is focused on the phenomenon that [i]Ambrosia[/i] plants found re...
Diabetes and depression: a combination of civilization and life-style diseases is more than simple problem adding – literature review
The article presents a review of current medical and psychological literature published between 2000 - 2010, with the use of the PubMed database, concerning the occurrence of anxiety and depression in diabetic patients,...
Legal highs – legal aspects and legislative solutions
In recent years the attention of society, the media and politicians has focused on the negative phenomenon of the occurrence of an enormous amount of new psychoactive substances flooding the European market. In Poland an...
[i]Neospora caninum[/i] and [i]Toxoplasma gondii[/i] antibodies in red foxes ([i]Vulpes vulpes[/i]) in the Czech Republic
[b]Introduction and objective.[/b] Neospora caninum and [i]Toxoplasma gondii [/i]are worldwide spread parasites, causing serious illnesses in sensitive animals; toxoplasmosis is also important zoonosis. Although neosporo...
The effects of caffeine administered at different temperatures on foetal development
An easy access to products containing caffeine makes it widely consumed to excess by the general population, including pregnant women. Beverages containing caffeine are consumed at different temperatures (iced, hot, room...