Analysis of the incidence of short-term illness in four counties of Hunan Province / 中南大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the prevalence and incidence of illness of two-week duration, and the factors influencing these, among residents 15 years and older in four counties of Hunan Province.@*METHODS@#Data were sampled from four counties of Hunan Province for the Fourth National Health Service Survey. Incidence and two-week prevalence of disease were used to assess the health service needs of residents. A non-conditional, stepwise logistic regression was employed to explore the influencing factors.@*RESULTS@#The two-week prevalence and incidence were 11.5% and 3.9%, respectively, in four counties of Hunan. The three leading diseases of two-week prevalence were respiratory diseases, digestive diseases, and musculoskeletal diseases. Non-conditional stepwise logistic regression showed that urban residents had 0.64 times the risk of two-week illness compared with the rural residents (P< 0.05); residents in the 45-59 year age group and the 60+ year age group had 1.69 and 2.62 times the risk of two-week illness compared with residents in the 15-44 year age group, respectively (P<0.05). The widowed had 1.91 times the risk of prevalence of two-week illness contrasted to singles (P<0.05); the students had 0.29 times the risk of two-week illness contrasted to the workers (P<0.05); urban residents had 0.63 times the risk of two-week illness compared with the rural (P<0.05); the widowed had 2.37 times the risk of incidence of two-week illness compared with singles (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The majority of health service needs of residents of four counties is generated by three diseases respiratory diseases, digestive diseases, and musculoskeletal diseases. Relatively, rural residents, the elderly, employed persons and the widowed have higher health service needs than others and deserve specific attention.