title: Children with a regular FP - do they have better health behaviours and psychosocial health?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adults who receive care from family physicians (FPs) are healthier than those who do not, but not much is known about the health behaviours and psychosocial health of children who have FPs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to test the hypothesis that children who have a regular FP have better health behaviours and psychosocial health than children who do not have a regular FP.
  
  
  METHODS
  The health behaviours and psychosocial wellbeing of 7057 children in Hong Kong were measured by the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey and the 'anxious/depressed', 'somatic complaints' and 'aggressive behaviours' domains of the Children Behaviour Checklist (CBCL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Good health and hygiene behaviours were significantly more prevalent in children who had a regular FP. Children who did not have a regular FP had statistically significant higher scores in all three main domains of the CBCL. Children with a regular FP had higher odds ratios for various hygiene and health behaviours after adjusting for socioeconomic status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings highlight the potential role of FPs in promoting health, hygiene, and wellbeing in children.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Education and Health Promotion, Department of Community and Family Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. alee@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wing-suen
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Wing-yan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Patrick Wing-leung
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D002662:Child Health Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015438:Health Behavior; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D010821:Physicians, Family; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires