Abstract

BASTOS, Gisele Alsina Nader; HARZHEIM, Erno  and  SOUSA, Aline Iara de. Prevalence of medical appointments and associated factors among adults in a low-income community in southern Brazil. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2014, vol.23, n.3, pp.409-420. ISSN 1679-4974.

OBJECTIVE: to estimate medical appointment prevalence during the three months prior to interview, in adults aged ≥20 from a low-income community in Southern Brazil in 2009. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with analysis adjusted using Poisson regression. RESULTS: 3391 people were interviewed. Medical appointment prevalence was 76.2% (95%CI 74.8, 77.6) in the last year and 64.8 % (95%CI 63.0, 66.7) in the last three months: 67.8 % infemales (95%CI 65.5, 70.1) (p<0.001); 60.2 % in males (95%CI57.1, 63.2). Adjusted analysis outcome in males was more strongly associated with increasing age (p 0.001) and poor/very poor self-rated health (p<0.001). In females association was with increasing age (p 0.001), seeing the same physician (p 0.001), usual place of care (p<0.001) and morbidities (p 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: differences in appointment use should be considered when planning and organizing access.

Keywords : Health Service Use; Cross-Sectional Studies; Socioeconomic Factors.

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