Factors Related to the Use of Health Services: An International Comparative Study

Data about the use of physicians' services, collected by means of surveys of the populations of Chester, England, Chittenden County, Vermont, and Smederevo, Yugoslavia, were analyzed by multivariate techniques. The results indicate that levels of perceived morbidity account for the greatest amounts of variance of utilization within each area, and that the occupational level of household heads and persons' tendencies to use services are also related to utilization. In addition to these factors, the variable measuring the availability of medical care contributed to explaining differences in the use of physicians' services in Smederevo.