Objective: To find the nature of the relationship between the general level of mothers' health knowledge and the over-use of paediatric facilities at the Primary Care level.
Design: A crossover study with a control group. SITE. Zaidin-Sur Health Centre (Granada).
Patients or others participants: We selected all the over-users (69) of a Paediatric office and compared them to a random sample, grouped by age, of normal users (82); n = 151.
Main measurements and results: To control confusion, we measured a total of 31 variables, grouped as to need, predisposition and expediting factors. After validating the scales, the average scores for general health understanding and the score for clinical attitudes and knowledge were significantly lower in the over-user group (p = 0.017 and p = 0.000). The scale for attitudes to and knowledge of prevention did not attain any importance (p = 0.104). We worked out a model of multiple logistical regression which included in the equation the scale of clinical attitudes and knowledge (p less than 0.005).
Conclusions: We emphasised the importance of mothers' health knowledge to the question of over-use of paediatric facilities. It is desirable to attempt to intervene on this question in order to lessen excessive use of health facilities.