HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental data: Table In Brief TRACK Discussion: Submit a Comment TRACK Discussion: View Comments Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when TRACK Comments are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cardol, M. Articles by de Bakker, D. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cardol, M. Articles by de Bakker, D. H. Related Collections Acute illness Family Quantitative methods

All in the Family: Headaches and Abdominal Pain as Indicators for Consultation Patterns in Families

¹ NIVEL, Utrecht, the Netherlands
² Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
³ Department of Sociology and Department of Human Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Mieke Cardol, PhD, NIVEL, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands, m.cardol{at}nivel.nl

PURPOSE Headaches and abdominal pain are examples of minor ailments that are generally self-limiting. We examined the extent to which patterns of visits to family physicians for minor ailments, such as headaches or abdominal pain, cluster within families.

METHODS Using information from the Second Dutch National Survey of General Practice for 96 family practices, we analyzed the visits of families with at least 1 child aged 12 years or younger during a period of 12 months.

RESULTS Family patterns were clearest in the visits of mothers and children. A large part of the similarity in the frequencies of contact by mothers and daughters could be attributed to shared family factors. This finding was especially true for families with a child who had a headache or abdominal pain as the presenting symptom, rather than physical trauma or chronic disease. Within families, we did not find any specific patterns of diagnoses. Diagnoses were recorded by family physicians. In the case of young children, family similarity may have been overestimated because parents initiated the visits and put their child’s health problem into words.

CONCLUSIONS Visits to family physicians for headaches or abdominal pain can be seen as indicators of consultation patterns in families. Family patterns related to minor ailments are likely to be a result of socialization. Family consultation patterns might point toward specific needs of families and consequently at a different approach to treatment.

Key Words: Family practice • family health • sociology • chronic disease • health behavior • diagnosis

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. C. Stange On TRACK: Intended and Unintended Consequences of Direct-to-Consumer Drug Marketing Ann. Fam. Med, March 1, 2007; 5(2): 175 - 178. [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. C. Stange In This Issue: Prescribing Drugs: What Do Patients and Pharmaceutical Companies Really Want? Ann. Fam. Med, November 1, 2006; 4(6): 482 - 483. [Full Text] [PDF]

TRACK Comments: