Some difficulties in comparing morbidity between countries

During a two-month period in general practice we compared morbidity records from the teaching practices at Southampton, UK, and Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Although the commonest conditions - emotional disorders, upper respiratory tract infection, and musculo-skeletal disorders - were equally prevalent, obesity was five times as prevalent and hypertension and urinary tract infection were twice as prevalent in Nijmegen as in Southampton. The Dutch doctors were far more ready to prescribe oral contraception to women over 50 years old. We met many difficulties in what had appeared to be a simple project and our results may reflect important differences about doctors' attitudes to care as well as differences in morbidity.