[Determinants of the use of pediatric consultations: study of child morbidity and maternal variables]. / Determinantes del uso de las consultas de pediatría: estudio de morbilidad infantil y variables maternas.

OBJECTIVE: To know the relations of the frequency of the pediatrics consultations with the maternal use of the consultations of family medicine, the maternal perception of his son's health, the events happened previously in the family, the infantile morbidity and socioeconomic condition. DESIGN: Prospective and observational study, duration 12 months. EMPLACEMENT: Primary care. PATIENTS: 261 children from 0 to 12 years old selected by systematic randomized pattern. The mother was required to have history in the center. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The dependent variable was the frequentation to the pediatric clinics, and the independent variables were the mother frequentation to the medical clinics; perception of its son's health, measured by health questionnaire; inventory of previous events according to Holmes and Rahe's questionnaire; sociodemographic variables and children morbidity registered in the medical files. The mean of infantile frequentation proved to be 10.18 visits per year (7.9 DS). 12% of children were high users and they accounted for 42% of all contacts. The variables associated to the frequentation were: age smaller than the boy, infantile morbidity and maternal frequent to the medical services, p < 0.001 for each one the variables. Those variables explained 40.8% of the variance in volume of care. CONCLUSIONS: The maternal use exercises an independent influence in the use of the pediatric services. Educative performances directed to the mother could improve this behaviour. The age is a predisposing factors of frequentation to the infantile services. The conditions of health are a potent predictor of frequentation, those children require more cares to attend their needs. Educational strategies which improve the level of maternal cares to the child in situation of illness could diminish the cares which are offered in pediatrics.

[Maternal anxiety, family dysfunction, morbidity and attendance at pediatric consultations]. / Ansiedad materna, disfunción familiar, morbilidad y frecuentación a las consultas de pediatría.

OBJECTIVE: To know the use of the pediatric offices and their connection with the family dysfunction, the maternal anxiety and children's morbidity. DESIGN: Observational prospective study the children that attended during a period, of one year. SETTING: EAP Virgen de la Fuensanta. PATIENTS: Children aged 0-12 years old, since 1st. October 1994 to 31st. September 1995, 649 children, except children that suffered chronic disease. MEASURES: Consultation and its diagnoses were registered in the health history, according WONCA classification, completing socioeconomical questionnaire, family APGAR test, and anxiety scale stai/trait (STAI). Groups were compared according attendees, consulting/year average plus one standard deviation, or no attendees. We used statistics techniques squared-Chi, simple regression and logistic regression. RESULTS: To be attendee was significantly associated with minor age of child and morbidity. Significant differences were not found with family dysfunction, neither with maternal anxiety state or trait, nor with socioeconomical variables. CONCLUSIONS: The high use of pediatric consulting may be not, seeing that hyperusers in account of their age and morbidity have bigger hardships.