ETHNICITY AS A RISK INDICATOR FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASE, LONG CONSULTATION TIMES AND CARE UTILIZATION - A PROSPECTIVE VISITOR STUDY OF 438 CONSECUTIVE ADULT CONSULTATIONS OF A PRIMARY HEALTH-CARE CENTER

This article shows the influence of ethnicity (people born outside Swe den and in Sweden) and social class (socioeconomic class) on the distr ibution of diagnoses, consultation time and health care utilization in primary health care controlled for sex, age, martial status and educa tional level. The study was designed as a prospective primary health c are utilization study during 7 consecutive weeks. Of a total of 439 ad ults who lived in the residential area, 290 were born in Sweden and 14 9 were born elsewhere. The data were analysed unmatched with logistic regression and Poisson regression in main effect models. People born o utside Sweden received significantly more diagnoses per consultation t han people born in Sweden. The strongest independent risk indicator fo r musculoskeletal disease was being born outside Sweden, with an estim ated odds ratio (OR) of 5.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.70-8.72 . Age over 44 was associated with increased odds for musculoskeletal d isease. Respiratory diseases, as an indicator of less serious disease, were significantly less common among people born outside Sweden (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.33-0.87). Being born outside Sweden was a risk indic ator for consultations longer than 30 minutes (OR = 3.03, 95% CI = 1.1 8-7.43). There were no differences between people born in Sweden and t hose born elsewhere in health care utilization. Social class was not a ssociated with any of the dependent variables.