[Functional social support perceived by patients in a program of home care in rural and urban settings].
OBJECTIVE
To determine functional social support in patients included in programme of care for chronic patients confined to their homes, and to compare rural area with urban area.


METHODS
Descriptive and crossover study.


METHODS
Urban and rural health centres.


METHODS
103 patients were interviewed in their homes (41 of them were in a rural area and 62 in a urban area). All patients were included in programme of care for chronic patients confined to their homes. Patients with neurological o psychiatric disorders who were not able to answer coherently were excluded.


RESULTS
We used the DUKE-UNC questionnaire which measured the functional social support in two sub-scales: confidential support and affective support. We didn't find any relation between the functional social support and age, sex, civil condition or health problems. Patients of the rural area perceive less confidential support than patients of the urban area. We didn't find any difference in the perception of the affective support between both areas.


CONCLUSIONS
In the rural area, the patients included in the programme of care for chronic patients confined to their homes perceive less possibility to communicate problems, important events or conflictive situations that require comprehension and help.
Alamo Martell
M C
MC
Centro de Salud de Agüimes, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Artiles Ruano
M C
MC
Santiago Navarro
P
P
Bernal Blasco
I
I
Aguiar Bautista
J A
JA
Gómez Arnaiz
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012423:Rural Health; D012944:Social Support; D013030:Spain; D014504:Urban Health
Apoyo social funcional percibido por los pacientes en programa de atención domiciliaria en los medios rural y urbano.