title: Primary care utilisation rates in pre-school children.
abstract: A key objective of the Lifeways cross generation cohort study is to examine health and healthcare, according to socio-economic indicators, during the first five years of life. GP contact details were available for 1032 children. 772 GPs in 589 practices were approached and data were obtained on 640 children (59% of original cohort). The mean follow-up time was 3.0 years (95% CI 2.5-3.5). 20.5% of children had a medical card. The mean GP consultation rate was 5.5 visits per child per year, 6.6 visits for children with a medical card and 5.1 for those without (95% CI 1.1 to 1.9) p = 0.001. 68 had a diagnosis of asthma; 19.10% with a medical card and 8.9% without (95% CI 3.0-17.5) p = 0.0001. 138 children had ever been admitted to hospital; 26.2% with a medical card and 21.0% without (95% CI -3.3% to 13.6%) p = 0.2. Incremental increases in parental income significantly decreased both the risk of asthma (p = 0.02) or hospital admission (p = 0.008).
authors.affiliation: UCD School of Public Health and Population Science, Woodview House, Belfield, Dublin 4. una.fallon@ucd.ie
authors.forename: U B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Fallon
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Majawit
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Riordan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bury
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Mahony
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kelleher
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors