Student access to primary health care and preventive health screening at a school-based health centre in South Auckland, New Zealand.
OBJECTIVE
To determine where students usually access primary health care and compare the quality of preventive health services that students who use the school-based health centre (SBHC) receive to those who go elsewhere for health care.


METHODS
A convenience sample of 20 classes were selected and surveyed in 2003. Three hundred and forty-three students completed the Young Adult Health Care Survey using a web-based questionnaire.


RESULTS
While most students (79%) access health care from their family doctor, a significant number (40%) of students attended the SBHC in the last 12 months. Overall, health screening and preventive counselling from health care providers was low. Students who used the SBHC were more likely to received private and confidential health care and preventive screening than students who go elsewhere for health care.


CONCLUSIONS
School-based health care provides additional access to health care that does not appear to replace traditional family practice based health care. While the SBHC appears to deliver better quality preventive health services for adolescents compared to traditional primary health care, improvements are needed across all primary health care settings.
Denny
Simon
S
Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland, Auckland. sdenny@middlemore.co.nz
Balhorn
Anita
A
Lawrence
Aniva
A
Cosgriff
John
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012572:School Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution