Ethnic differences in self-reported lack of access to a regular doctor: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate ethnic differences in self-reported lack of access to a regular doctor in Malmö, Sweden.


METHODS
The public health survey in Malmö 1994 was a cross sectional population study. Data were collected from 5600 people aged 20-80 years using a postal questionnaire. The participation rate was 71%. The population was categorised according to country of birth: born in Sweden, other Nordic countries, other Western countries, Yugoslavia, Eastern Europe, Arabic speaking countries and other countries. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed in order to investigate the importance of possible confounders on the differences by country of origin in lack of access to a regular doctor.


RESULTS
A 56.3% proportion of all men and 48.8% of all women lacked access to a regular doctor. The odds ratios of lacking access were significantly higher among men born in Nordic countries, Arabic countries and other countries compared to men born in Sweden but disappeared after adjustment for age. The same patterns were observed for women born in Eastern Europe, Arabic countries and other countries compared to women born in Sweden, and remained after adjustment for age. In the multivariate analysis including age, education, ability to pay bills every month and self-reported health, no significant differences in lack of access to a regular doctor remained among men, while the odds ratios were significantly lower among women born in other Western countries, but still significantly higher among women born in Arabic speaking countries and all other countries.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reported lack of access to a regular doctor was significantly higher among men born in Nordic countries, Arabic countries and other countries compared to men born in Sweden, but all these differences disappeared after adjument for age and in the multivariate analysis. Women born in Arabic speaking countries and other countries lacked access to a regular doctor to a significantly higher extent compared with women born in Sweden, and these differences remained in the multivariate analysis.
Axén
Elin
E
Department of Community Medicine, MalmöUniversity Hospital, Lund University, S-20502 Malmö, Sweden.
Lindström
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005061:Europe, Eastern / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden