Revista de Saúde Pública (Dec 2008)
Prevalência de consultas médicas e fatores associados, Pelotas (RS), 1999-2000 Prevalencia de consultas médicas y factores asociados en Pelotas (Sur de Brasil), 1999-2000 Prevalence of medical visits and associated factors, Pelotas, Southern Brazil, 1999-2000
Abstract
OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência de consultar com médico e analisar fatores a ela associados. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de base populacional realizado de dezembro de 1999 a abril de 2000, na cidade de Pelotas (RS). Foram incluídos 1.962 indivíduos de ambos os sexos, de 20 a 69 anos, residentes na zona urbana. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionários padronizados e pré-codificados. O desfecho "consultar com médico nos 12 meses antes da entrevista" foi analisado com fatores socioeconômicos, demográficos, presença de doenças crônicas e distúrbios psiquiátricos, estado nutricional, tabagismo, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas, e internação no ano anterior à entrevista. Foi realizada regressão de Poisson seguindo modelo hierarquizado, controlada por variáveis de confusão, considerando nível de significância OBJETIVO: Estimar la prevalencia de consultas con un médico y analizar factores asociados a ella. MÉTODOS: Se realizó estudio transversal de base poblacional de diciembre de 1999 a abril de 2000, en la ciudad de Pelotas (Sur de Brasil). Fueron incluidos 1.962 individuos de ambos sexos, de 20 a 69 años, residentes en la zona urbana. Los datos fueron colectados por medio de cuestionarios estandarizados y pre-codificados. La condición "consultar con médico en los 12 meses antes de la entrevista" fue analizada con factores socioeconómicos, demográficos, presencia de enfermedades crónicas y disturbios psiquiátricos, estado nutricional, tabaquismo, consumo de bebidas alcohólicas e internación en el año anterior a la entrevista. Fue realizada una regresión de Poisson siguiendo el modelo jerarquizado, controlado por variables de confusión, considerando nivel de significancia OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of visiting doctors and to analyze associated factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional, population-based study performed in the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil, between December 1999 and April 2000. A total of 1,962 individuals of both sexes, aged between 20 and 69 years and living in the urban area were included in this study. Data were collected with standardized, pre-coded questionnaires. The outcome "visited doctor during the 12 months prior to interview" was analyzed with socioeconomic and demographic factors, presence of chronic diseases and psychiatric disorders, nutritional status, smoking, alcohol consumption, and hospitalizations in the year prior to interview. Poisson regression was used, according to a hierarchical model, controlled by confounding variables, and considering a significance level of <0.05. RESULTS: Among interviewees, 1,395 (70.9%) had visited a doctor in the period analyzed. Multivariate analysis among men revealed that individuals who showed higher prevalences of medical visits had a per capita family income higher than 10 minimum wages per month, were over 60 years of age, suffered from diabetes mellitus, had a body mass index equal to or above 25kg/m², and had been hospitalized. Women who had a per capita family income higher than six minimum wages per month, were over 60 years of age, white and non-smokers, suffered from hypertension and diabetes, and had been hospitalized showed higher outcome prevalences. CONCLUSIONS: Health inequalities were identified in relation to ethnicity and family income. In addition, there was high prevalence of medical visits, especially among individuals who were older and suffered from certain chronic, non-communicable diseases.
