title: [Socioeconomic factors and utilization of public family practice facilities in Madrid].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the possible association between demographic, social and economic characteristics of health areas in the autonomous community of Madrid and utilization of public family practice facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ecological study was carried out using health areas as the unit of analysis. The information sources were official data on population statistics and the reports of the National Institute of Health for 1996 and 2001. Indicators were income, mean household size, unemployment rate, the percentage of housewives, and the percentage of individuals with university education. The association between these indicators and utilization of public family practice facilities was analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. A multivariate linear regression model was also fitted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The consultation rate in public family practice facilities in Madrid was directly associated with the percentage of housewives (r = 0.44), income (r = -0,697), and the percentage of individuals with university education (r = -0.72). In the multivariate linear regression model, 77% of the varian-ce in utilization was explained by income (48%), the percentage of housewives (19%), and average household size (9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show the relationship between social and economic factors and utilization of public family practice facilities and suggest the advisability of including demographic and socioeconomic factors in primary care planning.
authors.affiliation: Médicos de Madrid CESM-Madrid, Madrid, España. mangel@cesm.org
authors.forename: Miguel Angel García
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Vicente Martín
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Dulce Ramírez
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Puerta
authors.forename: Yolanda González
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Inés Hidalgo
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Vicario
authors.forename: Eva Escribano
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ceruelo
authors.forename: Agustín Gómez
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: de la Cámara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004493:Education; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain