title: [Health services utilization by the adult population in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil: a cross-sectional study].
abstract: The aim was to describe healthcare utilization by adults in a Brazilian city. The outcomes were medical appointments in the previous month and use of public (Unified National Health System - SUS) versus private healthcare services. A population-based cross-sectional study with 1,098 adults aged 20 years or over was carried out. No medical appointment in the previous month was reported by 623 persons (56.7%, 95%CI: 53.8-59.7). Of the 487 individuals who had consulted a physician, 51.2% used the public healthcare system, 26.9% private care, and 22% other services. Consultation was associated with female gender and older age. Individuals in the intermediate categories for income, schooling, and socioeconomic status consulted less than the corresponding high and low categories. The results suggest that the middle class in this city lacks the purchasing power to seek care in the private sector while also using public services less, thus generally seeking healthcare less frequently.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Brasil. episoares@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Juvenal Soares
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dias-da-Costa
authors.forename: Maria Teresa Anselmo
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Olinto
authors.forename: Simoni Assunção
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Marcelo Felipe
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Tatiane
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bagatini
authors.forename: Maximiliano das Chagas
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Lisiane Kiefer
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Letícia Possebon
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Fátima Carina de Souza
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Eduardo dos Santos
authors.initials: Edos S
authors.lastname: Barcellos
authors.forename: Marcos Pascoal
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pattussi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population