Childhood consultation rates in general practice--factors associated with the variations in attendance; a review.

General Practitioners catering for Service families need to be aware of the multiple influences on patients consultation. The children who attend frequently are those who have already been ill and those that attend a nursery school. The mother is influential if she has had experience in looking after children, if she has had employment out of the home and if her formal education was poor. The psychological state of the mother has been shown to have an impact and to be linked to the childhood consultation rate. This psychological state could well be influenced by frequent life events such as moving house and absence from the home of the spouse.