Table 2 Prevalence rates, proportions of overall prescribed medicines, proportion of self-medication and proportion of prescribed antibiotics to treat common colds (CCs) or upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) (n = 17,450)

Gender

Boys

1255

14.0 (12.7, 15.3)

655

50.3 (47.1, 53.6)

688

56.4 (53.1, 59.6)

69

9.5 (7.5, 12.0)

Girls

1340

14.7 (13.5, 16.1)

685

49.8 (46.1, 53.5)

772

58.8 (55.4, 62.1)

97

13.6 (10.8, 17.0)

Age (years)

0 - 2

610

22.0 (19.9, 24.2)

416

66.1 (61.1, 70.7)

249

42.0 (37.1, 47.0)

32

6.1 (3.9, 9.5)

3 - 6

855

23.0 (20.9, 25.2)

473

55.4 (51.6, 59.1)

451

52.9 (48.8, 56.9)

53

11.0 (8.1, 14.7)

7 - 10

520

12.3 (10.8, 14.1)

223

42.4 (37.1, 47.8)

328

63.1 (58.6, 67.4)

29

9.8 (6.2, 15.0)

11 - 13

303

9.7 (8.3, 11.2)

118

38.9 (33.4, 44.7)

209

69.7 (63.5, 75.3)

24

18.9 (11.6, 29.1)

14 - 17

307

8.2 (7.1, 9.5)

110

34.2 (27.8, 41.1)

223

73.4 (67.3, 78.7)

28

24.8 (16.8, 35.0)

Region

East

834

13.3 (11.6, 15.2)

439

52.6 (46.8, 58.4)

468

57.1 (52.3, 61.8)

70

15.0 (11.9, 18.6)

West

1761

14.5 (13.3, 15.9)

901

49.6 (46.7, 52.5)

992

57.6 (54.8, 60.5)

96

10.9 (8.9, 13.3)

Immigration background

Yes

352

12.0 (11.2, 14.4)

225

63.0 (57.2, 68.4)

150

43.3 (38.3, 48.4)

39

18.2 (13.2, 24.5)

No

2229

14.6 (13.2, 15.5)

1108

47.7 (44.9, 50.5)

1305

60.2 (57.6, 62.9)

127

10.1 (8.3, 12.2)

Social status

Low

683

13.8 (12.8, 15.6)

408

57.6 (53.4, 61.7)

319

48.0 (44.0, 52.1)

53

12.3 (9.4, 15.9)

Intermediate

1151

13.9 (12.7, 15.2)

582

48.8 (45.1, 52.5)

669

59.7 (56.2, 63.0)

76

13.0 (10.0, 16.7)

High

712

16.0 (14.4, 17.6)

315

43.6 (39.6, 47.7)

456

64.4 (60.3, 68.4)

31

8.0 (5.3, 11.9)

Total

2595

14.3 (13.2, 15.5)

1340

50.1 (47.5, 52.7)

1460

57.6 (55.0, 60.1)

166

11.6 (9.8, 13.7)