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Relationship between symptoms, sociodemographic factors, and general practice help-seeking in 10 904 adults aged 50 and over

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Relationship between symptoms, sociodemographic factors, and general practice help-seeking in 10 904 adults aged 50 and over
Authors: Rosalind Adam, Rute Vieira, Philip C Hannaford, Kathryn Martin, Katriina L Whitaker, Peter Murchie, Alison M Elliott
Contributors: University of Aberdeen.Other Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen.Aberdeen Cancer Centre, University of Aberdeen.Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science, University of Aberdeen.Medical Statistics, University of Aberdeen.Institute of Applied Health Sciences
Source: Eur J Public Health
Publisher Information: Oxford University Press (OUP), 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Subject Terms: Male, Aged, 80 and over, Sociodemographic Factors, Epidemiology, Supplementary Data, Health Status, General Practice, Help-seeking behaviour, Middle Aged, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, 03 medical and health sciences, Help-Seeking Behavior, 0302 clinical medicine, Socioeconomic Factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, Symptoms, RA Public aspects of medicine, Humans, Female, Health Services Research, RA, Aged
Description: Symptoms are a common reason for contact with primary care. This study investigated associations between symptom-related, demographic, social, and economic factors on general practice (GP) help-seeking. Secondary analysis of responses to a 25-symptom questionnaire, from 10 904 adults aged ≥50 years reporting at least one symptom in the preceding year. Cluster analysis and univariable and multivariable logistic regressions explored associations between self-reported GP help-seeking, symptom-related factors, and respondent characteristics. Most respondents, 7638 (70%), reported more than one symptom in the preceding year. Ten symptom clusters were identified. Most included common symptoms like headache and back or joint pain. There were increased odds of help-seeking in females, those with poorer health status and those unable to work due to illness/disability when multiple symptoms were reported, but not when single symptoms were reported. Age and sex had variable effects on help-seeking, depending on the symptom. Reporting poorer health status, more comorbidities, and being unable to work due to illness or disability increased odds of help-seeking across a diverse variety of symptoms. Single people and those reporting lower social contact had lower odds of help-seeking for some symptoms. Being a current smoker reduced odds of help-seeking for persistent indigestion/heartburn, persistent cough, coughing up phlegm, and shortness of breath. Factors associated with self-reported help-seeking vary for different symptoms. Poorer health and adverse economic and social factors are associated with increased GP help-seeking. These wider determinants of health interact with symptom experiences and will influence GP workload.
Document Type: Article
Other literature type
File Description: application/pdf
Language: English
ISSN: 1464-360X
1101-1262
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckae198
Access URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39675047
Rights: CC BY
URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....ec676b784f1f44d243820aa3226d427b
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:Symptoms are a common reason for contact with primary care. This study investigated associations between symptom-related, demographic, social, and economic factors on general practice (GP) help-seeking. Secondary analysis of responses to a 25-symptom questionnaire, from 10 904 adults aged ≥50 years reporting at least one symptom in the preceding year. Cluster analysis and univariable and multivariable logistic regressions explored associations between self-reported GP help-seeking, symptom-related factors, and respondent characteristics. Most respondents, 7638 (70%), reported more than one symptom in the preceding year. Ten symptom clusters were identified. Most included common symptoms like headache and back or joint pain. There were increased odds of help-seeking in females, those with poorer health status and those unable to work due to illness/disability when multiple symptoms were reported, but not when single symptoms were reported. Age and sex had variable effects on help-seeking, depending on the symptom. Reporting poorer health status, more comorbidities, and being unable to work due to illness or disability increased odds of help-seeking across a diverse variety of symptoms. Single people and those reporting lower social contact had lower odds of help-seeking for some symptoms. Being a current smoker reduced odds of help-seeking for persistent indigestion/heartburn, persistent cough, coughing up phlegm, and shortness of breath. Factors associated with self-reported help-seeking vary for different symptoms. Poorer health and adverse economic and social factors are associated with increased GP help-seeking. These wider determinants of health interact with symptom experiences and will influence GP workload.
ISSN:1464360X
11011262
DOI:10.1093/eurpub/ckae198