Preventive Health Care Utilization Research Articles

Preventive health care utilization. Prenatal and the first 3 years in a Utah population.

The utilization of preventive health care services prenatally and for children up to 3 years old was determined by mailed questionnaire. The parents surveyed were randomly chosen from birth records provided by the Utah Bureau of Vital Records. "Adequate use of preventive services" was defined as six prenatal visits for a full-term pregnancy and as seven well-child visits during the first 3 years of life. Responses, received from 219 (36.5%) parents, indicated only 1 percent did not utilize adequate prenatal care. Women made an average of 11.3 visits during their pregnancies; 83 percent saw their prenatal health care provider at least 10 times. Well-child visits were less adequately utilized, an average of 6.3 visits per child. Fifty-six percent made fewer than seven visits; only 23 percent made all of the nine visits recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Patients who made seven or more well-child visits were more likely to have received their fourth diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DTP) immunization and to have health insurance policies that paid for preventive health care services. Results indicate that families use preventive services more consistently before the birth of their children than after. Use of preventive services is associated with adequate insurance coverage and results in more thorough immunization.

HEALTH CARE UTILISATION IN A NEW ZEALAND BIRTH COHORT

The relationship between preventive health care utilisation rates and family social background was examined in a birth cohort of two‐year‐old children. There was a highly significant association between social background and the utilisation of preventive health care. Factors found to reduce preventive health care utilisation included: mother of non‐European ethnic origin; single parent family; low maternal education; high residential mobility and large family size. Maternal age and family income were unrelated to health care utilisation when other variables were taken into account. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.