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Infections in families with small children: Use of social insurance and healthcare

Hedin, Katarina LU ; Andre, M ; Molstad, S ; Rodhe, N and Petersson, C (2006) In Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care 24(2). p.98-103
Abstract
Objective. To examine infectious symptoms on a daily basis in families with small children and how often these infections cause people to stay at home or seek healthcare. Design. A population-based prospective study. Setting. Child health clinics in seven municipalities in Sweden. Subjects and main outcome measures. All family members of 835 families who came with an 18-month-old child to a child health clinic were asked to register all infectious symptoms in a diary for a month. They were also asked to indicate whether they had stayed at home from day-care or school, whether social insurance had been used, and whether they had contacted healthcare facilities or seen a physician. Results. In total, 7% of the 18-month-old children and 34%... (More)
Objective. To examine infectious symptoms on a daily basis in families with small children and how often these infections cause people to stay at home or seek healthcare. Design. A population-based prospective study. Setting. Child health clinics in seven municipalities in Sweden. Subjects and main outcome measures. All family members of 835 families who came with an 18-month-old child to a child health clinic were asked to register all infectious symptoms in a diary for a month. They were also asked to indicate whether they had stayed at home from day-care or school, whether social insurance had been used, and whether they had contacted healthcare facilities or seen a physician. Results. In total, 7% of the 18-month-old children and 34% of the parents had no symptoms during the winter month. The most common symptom was a runny nose. The 18-month-old children had 1.6 symptom episodes with an average duration of 5.6 days. Of the symptom episodes 13% led to contact with healthcare facilities and 6% to an antibiotic prescription. Of the symptom days 27% required staying at home and in 10% social insurance was claimed. Conclusion. Symptoms of infection among families with small children were common, with a runny nose being the most common. Physician consultations and antibiotic prescriptions were used in a small proportion of the symptom episodes. Social insurance was claimed in about one-third of the days with absence from day-care. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
infections, family practice, care utilization, family, preschool, children
in
Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
volume
24
issue
2
pages
98 - 103
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000237470000008
  • pmid:16690558
  • scopus:33646799082
  • pmid:16690558
ISSN
0281-3432
DOI
10.1080/02813430600645917
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0a7b9f99-861a-4698-bae7-0842d27b9919 (old id 409942)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:58:01
date last changed
2022-01-26 20:49:34
@article{0a7b9f99-861a-4698-bae7-0842d27b9919,
  abstract     = {{Objective. To examine infectious symptoms on a daily basis in families with small children and how often these infections cause people to stay at home or seek healthcare. Design. A population-based prospective study. Setting. Child health clinics in seven municipalities in Sweden. Subjects and main outcome measures. All family members of 835 families who came with an 18-month-old child to a child health clinic were asked to register all infectious symptoms in a diary for a month. They were also asked to indicate whether they had stayed at home from day-care or school, whether social insurance had been used, and whether they had contacted healthcare facilities or seen a physician. Results. In total, 7% of the 18-month-old children and 34% of the parents had no symptoms during the winter month. The most common symptom was a runny nose. The 18-month-old children had 1.6 symptom episodes with an average duration of 5.6 days. Of the symptom episodes 13% led to contact with healthcare facilities and 6% to an antibiotic prescription. Of the symptom days 27% required staying at home and in 10% social insurance was claimed. Conclusion. Symptoms of infection among families with small children were common, with a runny nose being the most common. Physician consultations and antibiotic prescriptions were used in a small proportion of the symptom episodes. Social insurance was claimed in about one-third of the days with absence from day-care.}},
  author       = {{Hedin, Katarina and Andre, M and Molstad, S and Rodhe, N and Petersson, C}},
  issn         = {{0281-3432}},
  keywords     = {{infections; family practice; care utilization; family; preschool; children}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{98--103}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care}},
  title        = {{Infections in families with small children: Use of social insurance and healthcare}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02813430600645917}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/02813430600645917}},
  volume       = {{24}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}