The recession has made people in Europe and the US less likely to visit their doctor, new research has found.

According to the findings, the economic crisis of the last few years has made people more reluctant to seek routine care.

"The global economic crisis weakened national economies and household finances globally. These economic conditions can have effects in many areas, including health," said Dr Annamaria Lusardi of George Washington University in the US.

She and her team analysed the results of a survey that had been carried out in Europe and the US among adults aged between 18 and 65.

The survey wanted to find out more about how people used healthcare systems after 2007.

Almost 6,500 people in the UK, France Germany, the US and Canada took part.

The survey found that the decision to seek medical care is affected by finances. Those with less money are less likely to attend. And as the recession affected people's personal income, this in turn lead to more people choosing not to attend their doctor.

While people in the US were the most likely to reduce their use of healthcare services, the researchers said that this was not surprising as there is no universal healthcare available there.

However, they added that even in European countries with more inclusive healthcare systems, additional costs, such as prescription charges, were deterring people from seeking care.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Social Science Quarterly.