Having a regular doctor: rural, semi-urban and urban differences in Newfoundland

Recent studies suggest that 23% of adult Newfoundlanders do not have a regular doctor. Using data from the 1995 Newfoundland Panel on Health and Medical Care study, we examined the urban, semi-urban and rural differences in the characteristics of adult (age 20 and over) Newfoundlanders who did and did not have a regular doctor.

We used chi2 tests and logistic regression to analyze data from 11,789 respondents from randomly selected households in Newfoundland. The dependent variable was "Have a regular doctor" (Yes / No). The independent variable was "Place of residence" (Urban / Semi-urban / Rural) and covariates included socio-demographic and health-related variables.

Fifteen percent (1771) of Newfoundlanders did not have a regular doctor. Of these, the largest proportion of respondents without a regular doctor lived in rural communities (74.4%); were male (62.6%); were 20-29 years old (28.7%); married (68.8%); of high socio-economic status (44.7%); working full-time (35.3%); had excellent or good health (83.0%); had no chronic illness (40.3%), disability (93.3%) or impairments to activities of daily living (98.0%); and were in excellent or good emotional health (90.7%). Compared to their urban counterparts, residents of semi-urban communities were as likely (odds ratio 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84-1.26) not to have a regular doctor and residents of rural communities were 4.03 (95% CI 3.50-4.65) times more likely than their urban counterparts not to have a regular doctor.

In 1995, fewer adult Newfoundlanders than previously estimated did not have a regular doctor. Rural residents were more likely not to have a regular doctor than residents of either urban or semi-urban communities.