The Michigan Doily-Saturday, June 2, 1979-Page 11
'U' OF CALIFORNIA STUDY SHOWS
Doetors less attentive to female complaints

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Male doctors
pay less attention to medical complain-
ts from women than to the same
problems in men, says a new medical
study which lends support to some
women's complaints that their doctors
"don't take them seriously."
Research at the University of
California-San Diego (UCSD) Medical
School found that a man who complains
of headaches, for instance, p obably
would get a more extensive
examination than a woman with the
same symptoms.
"TIE PHYSICIANS, who in this case
were all male, were clearly reacting
differently to complaints in men than in
women," Dr. Lawrence Schneiderman
said in an interview. "They reacted dif--

ferently by doing a more extensive
medical workup."
Schneiderman said many women
have alleged "their doctors don't take
them seriously but this is the first
systematic study of the problem. It cer-
tianly does give some support ... to
those concerns."
He said the study compared records
from a total of 181 doctor visits by 52
married couples - 104 individual
patients. For each of five complaints -
headaches, chest pains, dizziness,
fatigue, and back pain - male patients
got more thorough examinations than
women, he said.
BUT, HE ADDED, when the medical
quality of the exams was gauged by a
standard of which particular tests

should be ordered for particular com-
plaints, the researchers found that
"even though the doctors did a more ex-
tensive workup on men they didn't
necessarily do a better workup."
The most likely explanation for the
findipgs, he said, is that doctors accept
the stereotypical notions that men are
more stoic and less apt to complain,
while women are supposed to be more
subject to psychosomatic complaints
with no physical cause.
He said he believes "the doctors, by
doing fewer kinds of physical tests for
organic disease in women, are ex-
pressing their belief that these things
are likely to be psychosomatic."
AND SCHNEIDERMAN said, "I'll

bet women doctors would behave the
same way. Women are also socializec
into this attitude."
He noted that one study has even
determined that parents are more
likely to call a doctor in the middle of
the night for a boy than for a girl.
The problem is complicated, he said,
because "it is a fact that women see
doctors more often for a variety of
problems, including psychosomatic
problems."
SCHNEIDERMAN SAID he and co-
workers Karen Armitage and Robert
Bass studied a group of family-practice
physicians in the San Diego area. The
doctors were also members of the UC-
SD medical faculty. None had been ac-
cused of sexism by students or patients.
He said the five medical complaints
used in the study are about equally
common among men and women and
sometimes signal far more severe
problems.
Schneiderman said each of the 181
reports was analyzed by counting the
number of medical-history questions,
the number of organs examined and the
number of lab tests ordered.
When the totals were added and
averaged for men and women, he said,
the investigators found that in each
case "they were highly different - well
beyond the range of statistical chance."

loney-saving co-ops grow in popularity
By the Associated Press manages the co-op. He or she will have purchasing and is responsible for
A growing number of Americans are to make up order forms, based on the checking comparative retail prices. If a
getting together to save money on food wholesalers' invoices, and will have to supermarket special is cheaper than
bills in co-operative buying clubs whose distribute them to members. The coor- the wholesale price, the buyer can
members trade their own time and dinator also will have to collect the eliminate the item on his or her list.
labor for lower prices. completed forms-which should in- * Cashier: This person determines
The co-ops vary in size and structure, clude estimated prices and a space for the exact prices to be charged to mem-
but the principle is the same: Meat, actual prices-and the money. He or bers, based on what the buyer actually
produce, and other items are purchased she totals up members' orders and had to pay. He or she figures out refun-
directly from the farmer or wholesaler figures out how many cases or other ds and collects extra money-
and are distributed to members. There bulk units are needed. * Sorters: The sorters break up the
is no mark-up for profit. * Buyer: The buyer does the actual lots according to individual orders.
"CO-OPERATIVES languished
throughout the 1950s and 60s because of
the supermarket revolution, where food
retailing went from small, labor-
intensive stores to larger supermarketsc n
with self-service," said Ron Cotterill, a
marketing expert at Michigan State
University.
The co-ops were revived, Cotteril
said, by "young people in the late 60s
and early 70s" who wanted "local con- S l
trol of their yes. These people were
quite alienate dagainst the government
and against ... business. They sort of
fell into good times in the sense that
food price inflation really focused at-
tention on food prices and on alter-
natives to going to a supermarket."A on r
Today, said Cotterill, there are
thousands of co-ops and "they're our salad bar is free
growing daily," although they account O rS
for less than one or two per cent of total O th our dinners and
grocery sales.
"THERE'S' A CO-OP for every ln h n as
taste," Cotterill said. Some are small, Cheon speCIs
neighborhood groups where each (Ectu charge
member takes his or her turn at every
job. Others are large, supermarket-w n
style operations with professional staf-
fs. Consumers pay a small, one-time We feature
membership fee in exchange for the
right to shop at the co-op store; the fee fferent items
sometimes is waived for shoppers
willing to work part-time. daily to add
In addition to lower prices, co-ops
often can offer fresher food, par- relish to your
ticularly when it comes to things like -And
produce and eggs. Co-op shop- mea. you
ping-particularly in smaller buying can go back
clubs-also has its disadvantages,
however. - -
You must spend several hours a week as-often
shopping on a regular basis. You can't a you like.
skip a week just because you're busy.
CONTACT LOCAL wholesalers to seeEno
which ones are willing to deal with you.
Arrange to have them provide weekly
invoices showing what's available and
how much it costs. -
Set a basic membership charge and 3354 East Washtenaw Ave.
collect it one week in advance so you (Across from Arborland 3
have cash to work with. The fee should Shopping Center)
cover the estimated cost of thefood plus On West Stadium Blvd.
gasoline and any other supplies you will Nort o tersction
need.(JsNotofItrein
Nod.Aof Stadium & iberty) At Participating Steal
Now divide the work. Among the jobs
you have to fill:
" Coordinator: This is the person who

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