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Table 4 Associations between low impact consulters and high impact non-consulters and views on managing symptoms (age and sex adjusted odds ratios)

From: Incongruous consultation behaviour: results from a UK-wide population survey

Symptom management factors

Low impact consulters

High impact non-consulters

 

Odds ratio (95% CI)

p-value

Odds ratio (95% CI)

p-value

Nijmegen Expectation

Questionnaire ^

Quartile 1 (lowest scores)†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Quartile 2

1.75 (0.97 to 3.16)

0.062

1.24 (0.93 to 1.66)

0.139

Quartile 3

2.29 (1.32 to 3.98)

0.003

1.24 (0.93 to 1.64)

0.142

Quartile 4 (highest scores)

2.78 (1.59 to 4.86)

< 0.001

1.51 (1.13 to 2.02)

0.006

My previous experience

of a symptom

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

1.02 (0.36 to 2.89)

0.969

0.94 (0.53 to 1.68)

0.845

Other people's experiences

of a symptom

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

1.08 (0.75 to 1.54)

0.684

1.14 (0.93 to 1.40)

0.214

My knowledge/beliefs about

a symptom

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

0.53 (0.27 to1.08)

0.079

0.97 (0.59 to1.60)

0.916

Feeling a symptom wouldn't be

viewed as important by others

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

1.18 (0.83 to 1.69)

0.350

1.34 (1.09 to 1.64)

0.005

Feeling able to deal with

a symptom myself

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

0.65 (0.29 to 1.47)

0.304

0.96 (0.56 to 1.63)

0.872

Feeling that I need reassurance or

advice from a health professional

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

2.61 (1.39 to 4.91)

0.003

1.09 (0.84 to 1.42)

0.506

Feeling that I don't want to

waste the GP's time

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

0.99 (0.66 to 1.50)

0.976

1.60 (1.25 to 2.05)

< 0.001

My knowledge about healthcare

services and medicines

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

1.53 (0.89 to 2.64)

0.126

1.01 (0.77 to 1.32)

0.963

My attitudes/beliefs about

healthcare services and medicines

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

0.93 (0.62 to 1.38)

0.705

1.11 (0.88 to 1.40)

0.373

My previous experience of

healthcare services and medicines

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

1.21 (0.76 to 1.92)

0.429

1.35 (1.05 to 175)

0.020

Other people's experiences of

healthcare services and medicines

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

0.96 (0.67 to 1.37)

0.815

1.37 (1.12 to 1.68)

0.002

The cost of using a particular

healthcare service or treatment

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

1.11 (0.78 to 1.57)

0.576

1.16 (0.95 to 1.42)

0.140

The length of time I have

to wait to get treatment

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

1.03 (0.68 to 1.55)

0.898

1.24 (0.98 to 1.58)

0.076

Availability of resources like

transport and childcare

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

0.87 (0.61 to 1.24)

0.449

1.52 (1.24 to 1.86)

< 0.001

Information or advice

appearing in the media

Not important†

1.00

 

1.00

 

Important

1.08 (0.76 to 1.53)

0.671

0.99 (0.81 to 1.21)

0.922

  1. † Referent group
  2. Figures highlighted are significant at 5% level (p < 0.05)
  3. ^ Where lower scores represent a belief that self-care is better than GP treatment for common symptoms and higher scores represent a belief that GP treatment is better than self-care for common symptoms