Sex differences in general practice attendance and help seeking for minor illness

Women's rates of utilization of almost all health care services are higher than men's. General practice surveys endorse these findings with women attending more frequently, particularly in the child bearing years. The present study sought to explore the variables associated with consultation and help seeking behaviour for minor illnesses. Samples of male and female low and high attenders aged between 20 and 45 were drawn from one general practice to investigate which factors were important in explaining sex differences in consultation. Analysis of the results suggests that attendance and help seeking in men and women was closely linked to physical illness, the presence of physical symptoms was predictive of more frequent consultation in both men and women. The presence of psychosocial problems or distress, however, predicted consultation behaviour in women but not in men. The women had more confidants and contacted more social agencies than the men, also suggesting that they found it easier to divulge personal information to others than the men. There was no evidence from this study that such enabling factors as physical accessibility and time available were related to differential attendance rates.