Table 5.
Factors influencing parents’ decisions to seek medical advice sooner or later
| Factors influencing seeking medical advice | Not at all n (%) |
A little n (%) |
Quite a lot n (%) |
Very much n (%) |
Did not answer n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sooner | |||||
| Concern something serious | 9 (10.3) | 16 (18.4) | 18 (20.7) | 42 (48.3) | 2 (2.3) |
| Symptoms getting worse | 7 (8.0) | 19 (21.8) | 14 (16.1) | 46 (52.9) | 1 (1.1) |
| Symptoms not getting better | 4 (4.6) | 12 (13.8) | 22 (25.3) | 45 (51.7) | 4 (4.6) |
| Wanting reassurance | 8 (9.2) | 15 (17.2) | 16 (18.4) | 46 (52.9) | 2 (2.3) |
| Comments from family | 30 (34.5) | 28 (32.2) | 11 (12.6) | 13 (14.9) | 5 (5.7) |
| Comments from school | 63 (72.4) | 10 (11.5) | 4 (4.6) | 4 (4.6) | 6 (6.9) |
| Comments from friends | 49 (56.3) | 20 (23.0) | 7 (8.0) | 5 (5.7) | 6 (6.9) |
| Written information | 50 (57.5) | 8 (9.2) | 10 (11.5) | 15 (17.2) | 4 (4.6) |
| Later | |||||
| Difficulty getting appointment | 60 (69.0) | 8 (9.2) | 7 (8.0) | 11 (12.6) | 1 (1.1) |
| Waiting for a particular doctor or nurse | 68 (78.2) | 7 (8.0) | 4 (4.6) | 6 (6.9) | 2 (2.3) |
| Concern about having to wait at the surgery | 72 (82.8) | 6 (6.9) | 4 (4.6) | 3 (3.4) | 2 (2.3) |
| Worry about wasting the doctor's or nurse's time | 61 (70.1) | 10 (11.5) | 8 (9.2) | 6 (6.9) | 2 (2.3) |
| Worry the doctor would not take them seriously | 62 (71.3) | 12 (13.8) | 3 (3.4) | 7 (8.0) | 3 (3.4) |
| Symptoms were not very serious | 55 (63.2) | 20 (23.0) | 9 (10.3) | 0 (0) | 3 (3.4) |
| Hope the symptoms would go away | 42 (48.3) | 21 (24.1) | 9 (10.3) | 15 (17.2) | 0 (0) |
| Fear of serious diagnosis | 58 (66.7) | 16 (18.4) | 5 (5.7) | 7 (8.0) | 1 (1.1) |