[Socioeconomic factors and utilization of public family practice facilities in Madrid].
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.
Pérez
Miguel Angel García
MA
Médicos de Madrid CESM-Madrid, Madrid, España. mangel@cesm.org
Moreno
Vicente Martín
VM
Puerta
Dulce Ramírez
DR
Martínez
Yolanda González
YG
Vicario
Inés Hidalgo
IH
Ceruelo
Eva Escribano
EE
de la Cámara
Agustín Gómez
AG
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