[Digestive diseases morbidity and need for medical care requirements. Prevalence study of declared symptoms and demand for medical care in a French "department" (author's transl)].
A survey on digestive morbidity and demand for medical care in a pilot area concerned 3504 persons, eighteen years old and over; 69.3 p. 100 of them reported that they had been affected by one or several digestive symptoms during the previous year. However, it concerns mostly just common symptoms, probably benign, observed in all age groups; only 9.4 p. 100 of those complaining (half of them being old persons) reported disorders which can be suspected as serious ones. Among the subjects presenting symptoms, there is a majority of women, of urban population, of higher educational levels and higher social classes. During this year 18.9 p. 100 of the total population sought medical advice for digestive symptoms, the average number of consultations being 0.7 for every subject. This demand is related to the age, the number and gravity of the complaints, and to the presence of a digestive history; 24.5 p. 100 of the subjects used self medication: this is related to the perception of benign disorders, to digestive history, sex and social class: factory workers, farm workers and self-operating farmers are using this least. Women complain of digestive disorders more often than men and practice self medication more frequently. They do not report serious symptoms or a history of digestive disease more often than men, nor do consult doctors more frequently.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006296:Health Services; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012651:Self Medication; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population
Morbidité digestive et recours aux soins. Etude de la prévalence des symptômes déclarés et du recours aux soins dans un département français.