Non-participation in a preventive cardiovascular health examination was primarily due to lack of time (52%), and non-participants had a higher smoking rate than participants (31.3% vs 18.6%).
Cross-Sectional (n=309)
No
What are the characteristics and reasons for non-participation among individuals invited to a preventive health examination for cardiovascular disease?
Understanding reasons for non-participation in cardiovascular screening can help tailor interventions to achieve higher participation rates, particularly among higher-risk individuals such as smokers.
Absolute Event Rate: 31.3% vs 18.6%
OBJECTIVE: To describe the non-participants in a preventive health examination for cardiovascular diseases and their reasons for not participating. DESIGN: A preventive health examination, self-administered questionnaire, and telephone interview. SETTING: A municipality of 6200 inhabitants in the middle of Sweden. SUBJECTS: 309 persons, 35 or 40 years of age, invited to participate in a health examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reasons for non-participation, willingness to participate in future health examinations, and smoking. RESULTS: The most important reason for non-participating was lack of time or hindrances at work (52%). Other important reasons were already being in contact with the health services (33%) and feeling quite healthy at present (21%). Over half of the non-participants (55%) would be willing to participate in a similar health examination in the future. The proportion of smokers was significantly higher among the non-participants than among the participants in the health examination (31.3% and 18.6% respectively). CONCLUSION: More than half of the non-responders were willing to participate in a similar health examination in the future. If special measures to encourage participation in preventive health examinations were undertaken, it would not be unrealistic to aim for a participation rate of nearly 90%.
Wall et al. (Wed,) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular disease (n=309). Non-participation in health examination vs. Participation was evaluated on Smoking prevalence. Non-participation in a preventive cardiovascular health examination was primarily due to lack of time (52%), and non-participants had a higher smoking rate than participants (31.3% vs 18.6%).