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F J Huygen

Publications and source records attributed to F J Huygen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Morbidity from childhood to adulthood. The medical life history of 103 patients.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between presented morbidity in consecutive periods of time in the first 35 years of life. Data were collected in a large rural general practice from 1946 to 1990 and covered 103 persons born between 1946 and 1959 in a general practice in the east of The Netherlands. Morbidity scores were calculated for all registered diagnoses in 5-year periods. Morbidity was allocated to three degrees of seriousness, to all atopic disorders, and to eight important diagnosis groups. There were strong correlations between consecutive time periods for all but serious morbidity. The same pattern was found between 0-4 years of age and consecutive periods till the age of 20-25. After this age no significant correlations could be established. Atopic disorders were inter-related in the first 20 years of life. Strong correlations were also found for eczema and lower respiratory tract infections in the first 20 years, while strong correlations were found for accidents and nervous complaints between the ages of 20 and 35. We conclude that causes of morbidity presented in general practice in childhood and adulthood are strongly inter-related over consecutive 5-year periods.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Morbidity in early childhood, sex differences, birth order and social class.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between morbidity in early childhood and gender, birth order, and social class. DESIGN: The study used data collected in the Nijmegen Continuous Morbidity Registration. All presented morbidity and a number of personal data were available. SETTING: The survey population was regional; four general practices in the east of The Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: The study population included all children born in the four practices from 1971 to 1984. They were followed up till the age of five (1537 children). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Morbidity of children in the first five years was allocated to three degrees of seriousness and to 14 diagnosis groups. The morbidity of all children was analysed for boys and girls, first-born, second-born, and later-born children, and low, middle, and high social class. Boys presented more morbidity than girls; in particular, nervous disorders, lower respiratory tract infections, and accidents. First-born children presented more morbidity than later-born children; in particular, non-serious diseases, nervous disorders, and colds. Lower social class children presented more moderately serious and non-serious morbidity, colds, lower respiratory tract infections, and skin diseases. Logistic regression analysis showed that high social class, being the first-born child, and male gender were the most important factors related to presented morbidity in general practice. CONCLUSIONS: High social class, low social class, gender, and being the first-born child were, in this sequence, related to morbidity in early childhood presented to the general practitioner in this study population.

Birth Order↗
PubMed1992

Morbidity in early childhood: differences between girls and boys under 10 years old.

The aim of the study was to investigate the differences in presented morbidity and use of health services among boys and girls in early childhood. The study was performed using data collected by the continuous morbidity registration project of the department of general practice at Nijmegen University. All recorded morbidity, referrals to specialists and admissions to hospitals were recorded by the registration project. The study population included children born in four practices from 1971 to 1984. The children were followed up until the age of five years and if possible until the age of 10 years. The morbidity of the children had been categorized into three levels of seriousness of diagnosis and 15 diagnostic groups as part of the registration project. Boys presented more morbidity than girls in the first years of their lives. For the age group 0-4 years this was true for all levels of seriousness of diagnosis except the most serious. In this younger age group significantly more boys than girls suffered respiratory diseases, behaviour disorders, gastroenteritis and accidents. Girls suffered from more episodes of urinary infection than boys in both age groups. More boys were referred to specialists and admitted to hospital than girls. The findings of this study suggest that not only inborn factors can explain the sex differences in presented morbidity and use of health services in early childhood. In particular, differences between girls and boys in terms of non-serious morbidity and referral and admission rates suggest a different way of handling health problems in boys and girls in early childhood both by parents and doctors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Child↗
PubMed1992

Relationship between the working styles of general practitioners and the health status of their patients.

The aim of this study was to relate the working style of general practitioners to the health status of a sample of their patients. From a large regional sick fund forming part of the national health insurance system in the Netherlands a stratified sample was taken of general practitioners with at least 1000 patients on their list, taking into account the degree or urbanization of the area in which they practised and their annual referral rates to specialists. These 75 general practitioners were observed for two days in their surgeries by trained doctors and rated according to criteria defined beforehand. Taking into account these ratings and the annual figures from the sick fund for prescribing selected drugs and referrals to specialists, the general practitioners were classified into styles of practice - integrated, interventionist or minimal diagnostic. Twenty randomly selected women, aged 50-65 years, from each general practitioner's list, were interviewed and examined by independent doctors. The patients of general practitioners with the integrated practice style appeared to feel more healthy and to have more realistic expectations about the possibilities of professional help for common ailments. They tended to visit their doctor less frequently and to have fewer symptoms. The results showed an association between the quality of general practitioners and patients' health, and it may therefore be concluded that good general practitioners can further the health and well being of their patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Handling of confidentiality in general practice: a survey among general practitioners in The Netherlands.

This paper describes the results of a study of the handling of confidentiality by general practitioners. A sample of 272 general practitioners in the eastern part of the Netherlands was interviewed. The general practitioners were presented with 10 cases involving confidentiality and were asked what course of action they would pursue. Twenty-eight per cent of the general practitioners would never disclose information to others without the patient's consent, while 14% would disclose information to other physicians, members of non-medical professions and relatives. The largest proportion (38%) would disclose information only to other physicians. General practitioners were less likely to divulge information if they were: younger, female or practising in group practices. In particular, general practitioners who involved patients in decision making were less likely to disclose information to third parties. A plea is made for more education about confidentiality in the medical curriculum.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Longitudinal studies of family units.

In this paper the transmission of illness and illness behaviour from grandparents to their children and grandchildren is discussed. Maternal grandmothers are found to have most influence. Some prediction of the frequency of new periods of illness among the grandchildren was possible by making use of the number of nervous disorders of the grandparents for which medical help was requested. As family doctors, general practitioners are in a favourable position to anticipate and try to prevent the transmission of inadequate illness behaviour from generation to generation.

Family↗
PubMed1986

The relation between overweight and subjective health according to age, social class, slimming behavior and smoking habits in Dutch adults.

Subjective health status was assessed in relation to overweight by administering a list of 51 health complaints to adult men and women who were either chronically overweight as defined by Body Mass Index (BMI) or not overweight, in a continuous morbidity registration in four general practices during the period 1967-83. Responses were received from 455 men (182 overweight) and 790 women (386 overweight), ages 26-66 years. Response rate (71 per cent) and age distribution (mean age 48) were similar in overweight and non-overweight groups of both sexes. BMI was correlated with the total number of complaints in women (r = 0.15) but not in men (r = 0.07). Multiple regression analysis revealed, however, that age was an effect modifier in this relation, there being a negative association between BMI and subjective health in younger men and a positive association in older men, whereas in women the association between BMI and subjective health was much more pronounced at younger ages than at older ages. In addition, current smoking habits and social class (in men and women) and reported slimming behavior (in women) had an independent relation to the total number of health complaints. BMI was also related to specific complaints and groups of complaints, particularly in women.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Possibilities for prevention in the aged in primary health care].

A systematic periodic check-up of all aged by the general practitioner would result in an impracticable workload of the GP, while the benefits of this check-up have never been proved irrefutably. Good arguments can be brought forward however for regular visits by the health visitor to survey the social and medical conditions, referring to the GP and social work agencies if necessary. This kind of surveillance has been proved to be feasible. The most important task in preventive respect for the GP is to forestall unnecessary deterioration of health and validity by optimal diagnosis and treatment of the aged under his care, by surveillance and anticipatory care. The new possibilities of data automation with personal computers offer important perspectives in this respect. The use of these possibilities will help the GP to learn to look at his practice population as a population at risk in which the category of the aged is prone to particular risks. As the GP has contact with 85% of the aged in his practice during one year, a systematization of the surveillance of these risk categories should be easily practicable.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1983

[A family drama].

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Comprehensive Health Care↗