OBJECTIVE:
to estimate medical appointment prevalence during the three months prior to interview, in adults aged ≥20 from a low-income community in Southern Brazil in 2009.
METHODS:
Cross-sectional study with analysis adjusted using Poisson regression.
RESULTS:
3391 people were interviewed. Medical appointment prevalence was 76.2% (95%CI 74.8, 77.6) in the last year and 64.8 % (95%CI 63.0, 66.7) in the last three months: 67.8 % infemales (95%CI 65.5, 70.1) (p<0.001); 60.2 % in males (95%CI57.1, 63.2). Adjusted analysis outcome in males was more strongly associated with increasing age (p 0.001) and poor/very poor self-rated health (p<0.001). In females association was with increasing age (p 0.001), seeing the same physician (p 0.001), usual place of care (p<0.001) and morbidities ( p 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
differences in appointment use should be considered when planning and organizing access.
Health Service Use; Cross-Sectional Studies; Socioeconomic Factors
