Gender Differences in Primary Care Utilization and Determinants of General Practitioner Visits among Saudi Females: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Using World Health Survey in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2019

Objective:To document the number of visits Saudi adults have with general practitioners (GP) or family medicine doctors (FD), determine if there is an association between GP/FD visits and sex, and then identify factors associated with GP/FD visits among Saudi females. Methods:A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the 2019 World Health Survey in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSAWHS 2019), a nationally representative household survey. The outcome variable was number of visits to GP/FD. Survey-weighted negative binomial regression was applied. Results:From April to July 2019, 8,912 individuals participated in the KSAWHS 2019 individual questionnaire, of whom 7,677 were Saudi nationals aged 15 years and older, had completed responses and were included in this study. Females had more GP visits than males (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.49). Among females, higher use associated with having access to a private car (IRR 3.87, 95% CI 3.20-4.68, p < 0.001), living in rural areas (IRR 1.30, 95% CI 1.08-1.57, p = 0.005), being currently married (IRR 1.58, 95% CI 1.17-2.13, p = 0.003), and being separated/divorced/widowed (IRR 2.11, 95% CI 1.44-3.07, p < 0.001). Conclusion:These nationally representative findings provide a baseline for monitoring future trends and evaluating health-system reforms.