Unemployment and patterns of consultation with the general practitioner.
The relation between unemployment and consultations with the general practitioner was investigated among 13,275 economically active men aged 18-64 by using the British general household surveys. Men who were unemployed but seeking work consulted with doctors significantly more (odds ratio 1.83; 95% confidence interval 1.61 to 2.09) than those in employment, the highest consultation rate being among those who had been out of work for five years or more (odds ratio 2.12; 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 3.78). The high consultation rates persisted even after adjustment for self reported longstanding illness (odds ratio 1.53; 95% confidence interval 1.34 to 1.76). These findings suggest that in areas with high unemployment general practitioner workload is likely to be high.
Yuen
P
P
Epidemiology and Public Health Research Unit, University of Surrey, Guildford.
Balarajan
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014478:Unemployment; D006113:United Kingdom