Using data from a cross sectional survey and a prospective record linkage stu dy the aims of this study were to: (i) determine sources of advice and care for headaches in a population survey of adults, and (ii) invest...Using data from a cross sectional survey and a prospective record linkage stu dy the aims of this study were to: (i) determine sources of advice and care for headaches in a population survey of adults, and (ii) investigate prospectively t he influences of headaches on general practice consultation in a 12 month follo w up of the responders to the population survey. A population based cross sect ional survey was mailed to 4885 adults (aged ≥18 years) with an adjusted respon se rate of 56%(n = 2662). The main outcome measures of interest were (i) selfre port advice and care seeking in the survey (ii) consultation with general pract itioner for headache and for other conditions in 12 month period subsequent to the survey. Reporting a recent GP consultation for headache was associated with younger age (mean: 46 vs 48 years), female gender (68%vs 60%), and greater hea dache severity as measured by frequency, pain, and associated disability. The commonest sources of advice an d care in the past were GPs (27%), opticians (21%), and pharmacists (8%). Con sultations for headache were not common in the 12 months following the survey ( n = 144); however, those reporting a recent headache were almost 4 times more li kely to consult subsequently with a headache than those not (relative risk; 95% CI: 3.7; 1.9, 7.0). Recent reporting of headache was also associated with an inc reased risk of consulting for mental disorders (1.7; 1.2, 2.6), diseases of the digestive (1.6; 1.1, 2.3) and respiratory system (1.4; 1.1, 1.8), and a decrease d risk of consulting for circulatory diseases (0.8; 0.7, 1.0). Only a minority o f headache sufferers consult their GP, regardless of severity, with opticians an d pharmacists being other important sources of information. Headache appears to have an additional impact upon GP workload through increased rates of consultati ons for nonheadache conditions amongst headache sufferers. The interesting findi ngs regarding rates of consultation for digestive and circulatory conditions amo ngst headache s展开更多
文摘Using data from a cross sectional survey and a prospective record linkage stu dy the aims of this study were to: (i) determine sources of advice and care for headaches in a population survey of adults, and (ii) investigate prospectively t he influences of headaches on general practice consultation in a 12 month follo w up of the responders to the population survey. A population based cross sect ional survey was mailed to 4885 adults (aged ≥18 years) with an adjusted respon se rate of 56%(n = 2662). The main outcome measures of interest were (i) selfre port advice and care seeking in the survey (ii) consultation with general pract itioner for headache and for other conditions in 12 month period subsequent to the survey. Reporting a recent GP consultation for headache was associated with younger age (mean: 46 vs 48 years), female gender (68%vs 60%), and greater hea dache severity as measured by frequency, pain, and associated disability. The commonest sources of advice an d care in the past were GPs (27%), opticians (21%), and pharmacists (8%). Con sultations for headache were not common in the 12 months following the survey ( n = 144); however, those reporting a recent headache were almost 4 times more li kely to consult subsequently with a headache than those not (relative risk; 95% CI: 3.7; 1.9, 7.0). Recent reporting of headache was also associated with an inc reased risk of consulting for mental disorders (1.7; 1.2, 2.6), diseases of the digestive (1.6; 1.1, 2.3) and respiratory system (1.4; 1.1, 1.8), and a decrease d risk of consulting for circulatory diseases (0.8; 0.7, 1.0). Only a minority o f headache sufferers consult their GP, regardless of severity, with opticians an d pharmacists being other important sources of information. Headache appears to have an additional impact upon GP workload through increased rates of consultati ons for nonheadache conditions amongst headache sufferers. The interesting findi ngs regarding rates of consultation for digestive and circulatory conditions amo ngst headache s
