title: Health problems and the health care provider choices: a comparative study of urban and rural households in Egypt.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess families' health problems and the health facility choices in an urban and a rural district in Egypt.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional descriptive study with a multi-stage random sample of 948 urban and 401 rural households was undertaken in a district of Cairo and rural Giza. Data was collected through interviews. The questionnaire addressed health problems and the use of health services within the fortnight prior to the survey. A follow-up of a sub-sample of 285 urban and 114 rural households was carried out 2-3weeks after the first interview to assess the outcome of complaints. The EPi Info Statistical Package was used for analysis and comparing urban and rural families.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 60% of urban and 78.8% of rural families had health complaints - respiratory, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal. Outpatient clinics in public hospitals were the first choice for 49.7% of urban families and 23% of rural, while 25.7% of urban and 42.8% of rural families visited private clinics. Over half of the families with complaints recover from their illnesses within a fortnight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urban families have less health complaints than rural; however, rural families recover sooner. Families bypass often public primary health care services. Urban families overuse outpatient clinics in public hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Former WHO Technical Officer, Geneva and Public Health Professor, Egypt. Electronic address: asra78@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Salma B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Galal
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine [Girls], Al-Azhar Univ., Egypt.
authors.forename: Nageya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al-Gamal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006296:Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Bypassing health care; Care quality; Health seeking behavior; Patient referral; Patients’ satisfaction