Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of children and mean consulting rates with general practitioners

Detail	No (%)	Mean consulting rate	Rate ratio  (95% CI)
Sex:
Boys*	54 312 (51.2)	3.67	1.00
Girls	51 790 (48.8)	3.73	1.02 (1.00 to 1.04)
Age group (years):
0 to 4*	37 904 (35.7)	6.11	1.00
5 to 9	31 963 (30.1)	2.52	0.41 (0.39 to 0.43)
10 to 15	36 235 (34.1)	2.21	0.36 (0.28 to 0.44)
Tenure:
Owner occupied*	63 832 (60.2)	3.63	1.00
Council	21 155 (19.9)	4.43	1.22 (1.19 to 1.26)
Other rented	8306 (7.8)	4.29	1.18 (1.15 to 1.22)
Communal	641 (0.6)	2.79	0.77 (0.61 to 0.93)
Not known	12 168 (11.5)	2.40	0.66 (0.49 to 0.84)
Single parent family:
No*	82 373 (77.6)	3.88	1.00
Yes	10 938 (10.4)	3.81	0.98 (0.95 to 1.01)
Not known	12 746 (12.0)	2.42	0.63 (0.45 to 0.80)
Ethnic group:
White*	89 713 (84.6)	3.86	1.00
Afro-Caribbean	735 (0.7)	3.79	0.98 (0.89 to 1.08)
South Asian	1415 (1.3)	4.30	1.11 (1.02 to 1.21)
Other	1158 (1.1)	3.95	1.02 (0.95 to 1.10)
Not known	13 081 (12.3)	2.50	0.65 (0.49 to 0.81)
Social class of parent or guardian:
I-II*	31 306 (29.5)	3.54	1.00
III non-manual	10 825 (10.2)	3.95	1.12 (1.06 to 1.18)
III manual	28 499 (26.7)	3.95	1.12 (1.10 to 1.14)
IV-V	18 499 (17.4)	4.18	1.18 (1.14 to 1.22)
Other	4199 (4.0)	4.15	1.17 (1.13 to 1.21)
Not known	12 774 (12.0)	2.43	0.68 (0.52 to 0.85)
Employment status of parent or guardian:
Employed full time*	71 008 (66.9)	3.77	1.00
Employed part time	3463 (3.3)	3.34	0.89 (0.84 to 0.94)
Waiting/seeking	8472 (8.0)	4.34	1.15 (1.08 to 1.22)
Student	693 (0.7)	4.18	1.11 (1.02 to 1.20)
Permanently sick	1688 (1.6)	3.47	0.92 (0.86 to 0.98)
Other	7939 (7.5)	4.58	1.22 (1.19 to 1.25)
Not known	12 839 (12.1)	2.43	0.65 (0.48 to 0.82)

^*Baseline group.