Patterns of primary care utilization in a triethnic urban population of school children

Patterns of primary health care utilization for a random sample of urban elementary school children in three ethnic groups are described. Visit type, reasons for visit, and frequency of visits remained stable from year to year. More than 50 per cent of the children were non-visitors each year; 72 per cent of those not visiting the first year also did not visit the second year. Anglo-Americans were more likely to be non-visitors. Enrollment in a children and youth project is examined as a system factor that enabled limited-income families to seek comprehensive medical services. Analysis of the lowest two social classes indicated that significantly fewer Anglos than Mexican-Americans and blacks were enrolled in the Children and Youth Project. The proportion of Anglo non-visitors in the enrolled group was higher than the proportion of enrolled non-visitors in the Mexican-American and black population. Each year, significantly more children in the non-visitor category were in the non-enrolled group regardless of ethnicity.