FACTORS AFFEHTING THE ATTENDANCE RATE OF MASS HEALTH EXAMINATION

Abstract

The author has conducted a mass health examination for ten years, from 1971 to 1980, about a few thousands of adult farmers inhabiting in rural area of Gunma Prefecture, Japan. They were requested to attend the health examination once a year on indicated dates. Results on blood pressure, hemoglobin content, liver function test, and others, were notified individually to the attendants with advice after the examination. In addition, three specific surveys were carried out. Firstly, a self-administered questionnaire survey was for 289 male and 584 female attendants on motivation to the health examination, subjective symptom, and daily health behavior. Secondly, a household interview survey in 1985 was for 89 non-attendants and 64 attendants applying a psychodynamic theory on the behavior of attendance postulated by Baker and Shontz. Lastly, health questionnaires, simplified Cornell Medical Index and the Todai Health Index, were applied to the attendants.Subjective symptom and/or mental complaints had little relation to the attendance rate, unexpectedly. The attendance rate to the continuing mass health examination was rather related to cognizance and attitude to health examination and also to personal and family health practice than physical condition, subjective symptom, and perceived health. The attendant group had significantly higher level of promoting factors and lower level of inhibiting factors of Shontz for behavior of attendance than the levels observed in non-attendance group. Frequent attendants tended to have mormal blood pressure level and improved hemoglobin content as compared with less frequent ones.