Who consults and where? Sociocultural differentiation in access to health care in urban Africa.

Sociocultural differentiation in health behaviour was studied among 500 mothers randomly chosen in the suburban area of Dakar, Senegal. Variables were age, marital status, educational level, socioeconomic conditions, urban experience, town integration, village attachment, social insurance, ethnic group and disease categories. Access to health care was considered for the last illness of the mother and her youngest child under five. Town integration and disease category (and social insurance for children) were the only variables correlated with the number of consultations. Socioeconomic level and social insurance (and educational level for mothers) were associated with preference for private rather than public health systems.