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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Health beliefs and GP consultations by older people: a secondary analysis of the British Health and Lifestyle Survey | | Author(s) | Elizabeth Pendry, Geraldine Barrett, Christina Victor |
| Journal title | Health Care in Later Life, vol 3, no 4, 1998 |
| Pages | pp 237-251 |
| Keywords | General practitioners ; General practice ; Usage [services] ; Health [elderly] ; Attitude ; United Kingdom. |
| Annotation | In the UK, the general practitioner (GP) is the main health service contact for older people. The increasing number of older people and a rise in reported morbidity among this group suggest than expenditure on GP services is set to increase. Using the Health and Lifestyle Survey, carried out in the UK in 1991-92, this study aimed to examine who consult GPs and why, focusing on the effect of older people's health beliefs on GP consultation rates, in conjunction with health and symptom experience. Results showed that two health beliefs were significantly associated with higher GP consultation rates ( a belief in the importance of good health and a belief that they do not have to be very ill before they consult). However, on the whole, symptom experience had a greater effect on consultation rates. People who consulted a GP within the previous month had more symptoms, had higher levels of physical limitation and were in need of treatment/symptom investigation. The findings do not indicate an `inappropriate' use of GP services by older people. (AKM). |
| Accession Number | CPA-981214401 A |
| Classmark | QT6: L5: QLD: CC: DP: 8 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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