OBJECTIVE:

to analyze the prevalence of use of health services in Brazil.

METHODS:

systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based cross-sectional studies; MEDLINE, EMBASE, other sources, and microdata of surveys were searched; two researchers selected the studies, extracted the data and assessed methodological quality to include in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS:

from 1,979 retrieved references, 27 studies were included; the prevalence of medical visits in the previous year was 71% (confidence interval of 95% [95%CI] = 69; 73%; I2=99%); the proportion of women in each study (p=0.001; R2=25%) and the recall period (p>0.001; R2= 72%) contributed to the heterogeneity; prevalence of dental consultation was 37% (95%CI = 32; 42%; I2=100%), and of hospitalization, 10% (95%CI = 9; 11%; I2=98%), in the last year.

CONCLUSION:

more than half of the population had at least one medical visit, about one-third had a dental consultation and a tenth was hospitalized in the previous year.

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