Family Resources and Children's Use of Primary Health Care Services in Finland in 1979

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine how children's use of primary health care services was related to family resources (socio-economic status, marital and residential stability of the family, and core/periphery dichotomy). The population consisted of a random sample of 3201 children from 15 municipalities in the province of Uudenmaan lääni in Southern Finland in 1979. Among two-parent families in the core regions total utilization of primary health care services was significantly higher among the children of workers and upper white-collar employees. Children of farmers and lower white-collar employees in the periphery exhibited low primary health care utilization. Children in upper white-collar employees' families (both two- and one-parent) in core regions frequently used private services. Among children of one-parent families, exceptionally high users of private services were children of upper white-collar mothers in core regions, and of municipal health services the children of working-class mothers in the periphery. Non-migrated children had a slight tendency to use health services more than migrated children. Differences in family resources thus cannot be ignored when children's utilization of primary health care services is studied.