Health problems and the health care provider choices: a comparative study of urban and rural households in Egypt.

Objective: To assess families' health problems and the health facility choices in an urban and a rural district in Egypt.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study with a multi-stage random sample of 948 urban and 401 rural households was undertaken in a district of Cairo and rural Giza. Data was collected through interviews. The questionnaire addressed health problems and the use of health services within the fortnight prior to the survey. A follow-up of a sub-sample of 285 urban and 114 rural households was carried out 2-3weeks after the first interview to assess the outcome of complaints. The EPi Info Statistical Package was used for analysis and comparing urban and rural families.

Results: Over 60% of urban and 78.8% of rural families had health complaints - respiratory, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal. Outpatient clinics in public hospitals were the first choice for 49.7% of urban families and 23% of rural, while 25.7% of urban and 42.8% of rural families visited private clinics. Over half of the families with complaints recover from their illnesses within a fortnight.

Conclusion: Urban families have less health complaints than rural; however, rural families recover sooner. Families bypass often public primary health care services. Urban families overuse outpatient clinics in public hospitals.