RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Characteristics of children consulting for cough, sore throat, or earache
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 248
OP 254
DO 10.3399/bjgp08X279751
VO 58
IS 549
A1 Johannes HJM Uijen
A1 Huug J van Duijn
A1 Marijke M Kuyvenhoven
A1 François G Schellevis
A1 Johannes C van der Wouden
YR 2008
UL http://bjgp.org/content/58/549/248.abstract
AB Background GPs are often consulted for respiratory tract symptoms in children.Aim To explore characteristics of children, their parents, and their GPs that are correlated with consulting a GP for cough, sore throat, or earache.Design of study Second Dutch National Survey of General Practice (DNSGP-2) with a health interview and an additional questionnaire.Setting Children aged 0–17 years registered with 122 GPs in Dutch general practice.Method Characteristics of patients and their GPs were derived from the DNSGP-2 health interview and a questionnaire, respectively. Characteristics of the illness symptoms and GP consultation were acquired by means of an additional questionnaire. Data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression.Results Of all children who completed the questionnaire, 550 reported cough, sore throat, or earache in the 2 weeks preceding the interview with 147 of them consulting their GP. Young children more frequently consulted the GP for respiratory symptoms, as did children with fever, longer duration of symptoms, those reporting their health to be ‘poor to good’, and living in an urban area. When parents were worried, and when a child or their parents were cued by someone else, the GP was also consulted more often. GP-related determinants were not associated with GP consultation by children.Conclusion This study emphasises the importance of establishing the reasons behind children with respiratory tract symptoms consulting their GP. When GPs are aware of possible determinants of the decision to consult a GP, more appropriate advice and reassurance can be given regarding these respiratory symptoms, which are generally self-limiting.