Contact the GP (n = 2098) | Go to thepharmacy( n = 2105) | Go to A&E( n = 2093) | Mention thesymptoms to the GP if seen for another reason( n = 2094) | Use previously prescribedmedication (n = 1411) | Use over-the-countermedication (n = 2089) | Look upinformation online( n = 2095) | Wait and see( n = 2112) | Dismiss the symptoms as not worth worrying about (n = 2121) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) | ||
Unadjusted | ||||||||||
Respiratory condition | ||||||||||
Yes | 1.07 (0.88 to 1.31) | 0.70 (0.59 to 0.83)a | 1.36 (0.99 to 1.89) | 1.28 (0.96 to 1.69) | 5.46 (4.3 to 6.9)a | 0.69 (0.58 to 0.82)a | 0.80 (0.67 to 0.95)b | 0.88 (0.74 to 1.04) | 0.81 (0.67 to 0.98)b | |
No | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
Adjusted | ||||||||||
Respiratory condition | ||||||||||
Yes | 1.08 (0.88 to 1.34) | 0.70 (0.58 to 0.84)a | 1.27 (0.91 to 1.79) | 1.23 (0.92 to 1.65) | 5.34 (4.19 to 6.80)a | 0.68 (0.56 to 0.81)a | 0.79 (0.66 to 0.96)b | 0.84 (0.70 to 1.01) | 0.76 (0.62 to 0.93)c | |
No | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
Other health conditions, n | ||||||||||
0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
1 | 1.11 (0.82 to 1.50) | 1.20 (0.92 to 1.56) | 1.00 (0.60 to 1.67) | 1.24 (0.83 to 1.86) | 1.09 (0.76 to 1.56) | 1.03 (0.79 to 1.34) | 1.27 (0.96 to 1.67) | 0.92 (0.70 to 1.20) | 0.99 (0.74 to 1.31) | |
2 | 1.03 (0.75 to 1.40) | 1.17 (0.89 to 1.52) | 0.87 (0.51 to 1.47) | 1.26 (0.84 to 1.91) | 0.93 (0.65 to 1.34) | 0.78 (0.59 to 1.03) | 1.20 (0.90 to 1.58) | 0.88 (0.67 to 1.15) | 0.89 (0.66 to 1.20) | |
≥3 | 1.26 (0.96 to 1.67) | 1.16 (0.92 to 1.47) | 1.25 (0.80 to 1.95) | 1.83 (1.25 to 2.69)c | 1.30 (0.94 to 1.79) | 1.00 (0.79 to 1.28) | 0.97 (0.76 to 1.24) | 0.94 (0.74 to 1.20) | 0.98 (0.76 to 1.27) | |
Age, years | ||||||||||
50–59 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
60–69 | 1.30 (1.03 to 1.64)b | 0.83 (0.68 to 1.02) | 0.76 (0.52 to 1.09) | 1.57 (1.12 to 2.20)c | 0.90 (0.69 to 1.18) | 0.74 (0.60 to 0.90)c | 0.75 (0.61 to 0.93)c | 0.82 (0.66 to 1.00)b | 0.85 (0.68 to 1.06) | |
≥70 | 1.52 (1.13 to 2.05)c | 1.12 (0.87 to 1.43) | 0.43 (0.25 to 0.75)c | 1.23 (0.83 to 1.82) | 0.68 (0.49 to 0.95)b | 0.65 (0.50 to 0.83)c | 0.58 (0.45 to 0.75)a | 0.63 (0.49 to 0.81)a | 0.50 (0.38 to 0.67)a | |
Sex | ||||||||||
Male | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
Female | 0.88 (0.72 to 1.09) | 1.10 (0.92 to 1.32) | 0.72 (0.51 to 1.01) | 1.33 (0.99 to 1.78) | 1.12 (0.88 to 1.43) | 1.02 (0.85 to 1.23) | 1.25 (1.04 to 1.51)b | 1.37 (1.15 to 1.65)c | 1.14 (0.93 to 1.39) | |
Education | ||||||||||
Higher education | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
No qualifications | 1.21 (0.81 to 1.80) | 0.98 (0.71 to 1.35) | 2.61 (1.57 to 4.33)a | 0.69 (0.42 to 1.15) | 0.77 (0.50 to 1.17) | 1.02 (0.73 to 1.43) | 0.60 (0.43 to 0.83)b | 0.99 (0.72 to 1.37) | 1.39 (0.98 to 1.98) | |
Secondary education | 1.07 (0.87 to 1.33) | 1.23 (1.03 to 1.48)b | 1.15 (0.80 to 1.65) | 0.85 (0.62 to 1.15) | 0.89 (0.69 to 1.15) | 1.06 (0.88 to 1.28) | 0.91 (0.75 to 1.11) | 0.91 (0.76 to 1.10) | 1.20 (0.98 to 1.47) | |
Ethnic group | ||||||||||
White | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
Non-white | 2.63 (1.23 to 5.63) | 2.05 (1.15 to 3.65)b | 5.99 (3.28 to 10.95)a | 1.77 (0.63 to 5.01)b | 2.22 (1.04 to 4.72)b | 2.26 (1.31 to 3.90)c | 1.96 (1.03 to 3.75) | 0.73 (0.43 to 1.24) | 1.20 (0.70 to 2.07) | |
Marital status | ||||||||||
Single | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
Married or living with partner | 0.94 (0.76 to 1.16) | 1.04 (0.87 to 1.25) | 0.79 (0.57 to 1.11) | 1.01 (0.75 to 1.35) | 1.14 (0.89 to 1.46) | 1.09 (0.90 to 1.31) | 1.11 (0.92 to 1.34) | 1.15 (0.96 to 1.39) | 1.02 (0.84 to 1.25) | |
Smoking status | ||||||||||
Never smoked | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
Current smoker | 0.85 (0.64 to 1.13) | 0.82 (0.64 to 1.06) | 1.40 (0.91 to 2.15) | 0.68 (0.46 to 1.00) | 1.44 (1.03 to 2.02)b | 0.92 (0.71 to 1.19) | 0.78 (0.60 to 1.01) | 0.87 (0.67 to 1.12) | 1.20 (0.91 to 1.57) | |
Previous smoker | 1.15 (0.90 to 1.45) | 0.78 (0.64 to 0.95)b | 0.97 (0.65 to 1.43) | 0.87 (0.62 to 1.21) | 0.94 (0.72 to 1.23) | 0.88 (0.72 to 1.08) | 1.09 (0.88 to 1.34) | 0.82 (0.67 to 1.01) | 0.97 (0.78 to 1.21) | |
Symptom attribution | ||||||||||
Cancer | 1.50 (1.15 to 1.95)c | 0.79 (0.64 to 0.97)b | 0.69 (0.44 to 1.08) | 1.25 (0.87 to 1.80) | 0.83 (0.62 to 1.11) | 0.85 (0.68 to 1.06) | 1.24 (0.99 to 1.55) | 0.71 (0.58 to 0.88)c | 0.61 (0.48 to 0.79)a |
a<0.001. b<0.05. c<0.01. OR = odds ratio.