Repeated primary care consultations for non-specific physical symptoms in XXXX in UK: a cohort study.

@entity1 @entity16 @entity1109 @entity158 @entity490 @entity10 @entity1142
BACKGROUND: @entity1109 ( @entity1109 ), such as @entity10 and @entity490 , are common reasons for @entity1 to consult primary care. @entity1109 represent a significant burden not only on society, but also on health care services, through frequent physician consultations and referrals to secondary care. Research evidence suggests a positive relationship between health and consulting behavior of parents and their @entity1 , but research on whether repeated physician consultations for @entity1109 in @entity1 is influenced by parental consultations for @entity1109 is lacking. The aim was to measure the frequency of repeated physician consultations for @entity1109 in @entity1 , and investigate whether this is influenced by maternal consultations for @entity1109 . METHODS: A cohort study of @entity1 registered with primary care practices contributing to the Consultation in Primary Care Archive database. @entity1 were @entity1 -mother pairs registered between January 2007 and December 2010. The cohort comprised all @entity1 (n   =   1437) aged 2 to 16 years who consulted a physician for @entity1109 in 2009. Mothers' consultations for @entity1109 were measured between 2007 and 2008. Main outcome measures were repetition and frequency of consultations for @entity1109 in @entity1 (consultations for @entity1109 in both 2009 and 2010). RESULTS: Overall, 27% of @entity1 had repeated consultations for @entity1109 . The three most common repeated consultations were for back @entity158 , @entity1142 and @entity490 . Exposure to maternal consultation for @entity1109 was associated with 21% increase in consultation frequency for @entity1109 (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.21; 95% CI 1.12, 1.31). After adjusting for @entity1 age and maternal age, maternal consultation for @entity1109 was associated with an increased risk of repeated consultations for @entity1109 in @entity1 (relative risk 1.41; 95% CI 1.16, 1.73). This association was also significant for specific @entity1109 groups including @entity16 . CONCLUSIONS: Repeated consultation for @entity1109 is common among @entity1 . It is important for primary care physicians and secondary care clinicians, managing @entity1 referred from primary care for @entity1109 , to be aware that consultation for @entity1109 in mothers is a risk factor for repeated consultations for @entity1109 among @entity1 . More research is needed to uncover exactly how parental health influences health and consulting behavior of @entity1 .
