title: [Indicators for evaluating social problems in daily health care practice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define some social indicators which allow the social problems of primary care patients to be studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive, crossover study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A health district with a socially depressed urban population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive sampling of 403 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Social risk factors were standardised in function of these criteria: economic, cultural, family, housing, old age and social margination. From these some social indicators were identified, with which a questionnaire with a person-to-person interview was filled in and then the clinical records reviewed. 35% of patients had social problems. We found no connection with gender or age. Pathologies related to the existence of social problems were: mental disorders, infectious diseases, liver and digestive diseases and ill-defined symptoms and signs. There were also more out-patient visits and hospital stays by patients with social problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An active search for social problems reveals a much higher occurrence than expected. The finding of a connection between the existence of social problems and determined psychological and organic pathologies could assist the patient's diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: ABS Raval-Sud. CAP Drassanes, Barcelona.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grau Bartomeu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romea Lecumberri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franch Nadal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez Pérez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruiz Cabello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuertes Abad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012940:Social Problems / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
vernacular_title: Indicadores para valorar la problemática social en la práctica diaria asistencial.