Predictors Of Attendance Research Articles

Predictors of attendance at an obesity clinic and subsequent weight change.

BackgroundThere is conflicting evidence regarding characteristics of patients most likely to have poor outcomes after referral to a multidisciplinary weight loss clinic. The aim of this study was to identify patient characteristics associated with poor attendance and poor weight outcomes at a weight management clinic based in an Australian tertiary hospital.MethodsPatient characteristics including age, sex, referral source, postcode of residence, weight, body mass index (BMI) and the presence of specific comorbidities were recorded. Outcome measures included questionnaire return following referral (a requirement prior to a first appointment being scheduled), percentage of appointments attended and rate of weight change (kg/month). Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and compared using a t-test. Categorical data were presented as proportions and a chi-squared test was used to test significance. Statistical significance was set as p < 0.05.ResultsOf 502 patients referred to the Comprehensive Metabolic Care Centre (CMCC), 231 (46%) did not return their questionnaire. Patients referred by their GP, compared to those with only internal hospital referrals, were more likely to return their questionnaire (86.0% cf. 77.9%; p = 0.02) as were those who had their BMI recorded in their referral letter (58% cf 45% p = 0.011). 28.1% of patients attended half or less of their scheduled appointments at the CMCC but none of the parameters analysed was associated with attendance. Weight loss was associated with residence in a rural location (p = 0.016) and hypercholesterolaemia (p = 0.03) and weight gain was associated with obstructive sleep apnoea (p = 0.04).ConclusionsA large proportion of the patients referred to a weight management clinic never had an appointment scheduled. Clinicians should not anticipate greater compliance in one patient demographic than another; all groups need focus, particularly at the referral stage, and likely poor compliance must be anticipated and better managed.

Primary and secondary care attendance, anticonvulsant and antidepressant use and psychiatric contact 5–10 years after diagnosis in 188 patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

Background and objectivesThere have been few studies of long-term outcome in psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), and none of long-term healthcare utilization.MethodsWe studied attendance with seizures, healthcare use and employment over...

Predictors of attendance in a group-based model of case management for supported housing.

To examine the frequency and predictors of group attendance in a new group-intensive peer support (GIPS) model of case management for the Veterans Affairs supported housing program. Administrative data and group attendance records from 1 GIPS program were analyzed using bivariate and regression analyses. Of 295 clients, 42% attended at least 1 group and attended an average of 3 groups per month. There were no significant differences in any demographic, psychosocial, or clinical characteristics at baseline between group attenders and nongroup attenders. However, among group attenders, those who entered the program with more days homeless in the past month and more mental health symptoms attended groups more frequently. These results provide support for group-based models of care in supported housing and suggest those with more extensive housing and mental health problems may be more receptive to attending groups.

Predictors of attendance and barriers to cataract surgery in Kenya, Bangladesh and the Philippines

Purpose: Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and is particularly common in low- and middle-income countries. Our study aims to identify the predictors for and barriers to acceptance of cataract surgery in Kenya, Bangladesh and the Philippines. Methods: Cases were individuals aged ≥50 years and with best corrected VA of <6/24 in the better eye due to cataract who were identified through population-based surveys and community-based case detection. Cases were asked why they had not attended for surgery. They were offered free cataract surgery and followed-up at one year. Non-acceptors were interviewed to identify barriers to accepting surgery. Results: Of all participants, 58.6% attended for cataract surgery in Kenya, 53.9% Bangladesh and 47.1% the Philippines. Younger age was a predictor for attendance for surgery in all three countries. In Bangladesh and Kenya, male gender and psychosocial score were predictors. At baseline “cost” and “unaware of cataract” were most frequently reported barriers to uptake of surgery in the three settings. At follow-up, “surgical services inaccessible” was one of the two most frequently reported barriers in Kenya and the Philippines while “fear” was most frequently reported in Bangladesh and the Philippines. There were no consistent predictors of the most frequently reported barriers across the different settings. Conclusions: Future services need to focus on increasing uptake among older people and women. Cost is often reported as a barrier but this may conceal more complicated underlying barriers which need to be explored through in-depth qualitative research.Implications for RehabilitationCataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and is particularly common in low- and middle-income countries.Evidence suggests that even when surgical services are available, there can be a lack of demand and low utilization resulting from barriers to uptake.Older cataract patients, females and especially older females are least likely to attend for surgery.Future cataract surgical programmes should put special emphasis on targeting and increasing uptake in these groups.

Effect of Identification on Attendance at Team Sporting Events

This study examines the relationship between identification and attendance at team sporting events. Based on Daniel Wann's Spectator Sport Team Identification Index attributes were selected to measure the relationship between identification and decision to attend road games of the Carolina Hurricanes. The study was conducted at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina during a weekday home game and a weekend home game. Fans of differing levels of ticket purchasing behavior were surveyed. The different levels ranged from season ticket holders to mini plan purchasers to game day purchasers. The results of the study indicated that team identification is a predictor of attendance at road games. Index items, in particular, that were stronger relationships include: "how closely the fan followed the team," "how strongly the fan's friend deemed them as a fan of the team," and "how important is being a fan of the team to them." The results show that the relationship between team identification and attendance at road games is unaffected by the type of ticket the fan purchased or whether they attend a weekend or weekday game. Professionals in the area of sport management can utilize the results in order to increase as well as cultivate their fan base. Currently, attendance figures for the National Hockey League are relatively low in comparison to other professional sports leagues in America. Therefore, offering trips to road games provides teams the opportunity to strengthen current relationships with fans and develop new relationships.

Safety and predictors of adherence of a new rehabilitation program for older women with congestive heart failure.

ObjectivesTo assess the safety of a cardiac rehabilitation program for older women with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and determine if certain factors influence adherence.MethodsWomen over the age of 65 with CHF attended an exercise program supervised by a physiotherapist. Quality of life was measured by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) and severity of disease by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class. Subjects were classified into those who attended 90% or more of the sessions and those who attended less than 90% of the sessions.ResultsFifty-one subjects were studied. Eight subjects did not attend any sessions. Of the 43 attendees, the average percentage of sessions attended was 87%. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, MLHFQ or NYHA Class. There was only one adverse event out of 280 participant attendances.ConclusionsThe program had a high level of adherence in this population. Age, MLHFQ or NYHA Class did not impact on session attendance. Our data suggests this program is safe for this population. Further research is needed to determine other predictors of attendance and the examination of safety issues and long-term adherence to exercise in this population.

Effectiveness, Attendance, and Completion of an Integrated, System-Wide Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service for COPD: Prospective Observational Study

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is one of the most effective treatments for COPD but not widely available. Uptake is poor and completion rates are low. In this integrated PR service we report on effectiveness, attendance, and completion of twice weekly rolling recruitment and once weekly cohort recruitment programmes in two hospital and five community PR sites. The hospital and two of the community programmes were ‘rolling’ recruitment twice weekly for 8 weeks. Three community programmes ran in once weekly cohorts for 8 weeks. Predictors of attendance, completion and effectiveness were sought. 1114 eligible COPD patients were referred. 812 (73%) attended assessment, 656 (59%) started and 441 (40%) completed. Significant improvements were seen in incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) (mean 68.3 m; 95%CI 59.3–77.4), Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire self-report dyspnoea scale (CRQ-SR) (0.94; 0.80–1.07), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety (0.9; 0.5-1.2) and depression (1.1; 0.8–1.4) components, exceeding the minimum clinically important difference for ISWT and CRQ-SR. Twice weekly compared with once weekly programmes showed similar improvement. Patients were less likely to complete if they were deprived (4th quintile of deprivation 0.56; 0.33–0.94, 5th quintile 0.57; 0.34–0.85), reported MRC dyspnoea scale 4 (0.61; 0.37–0.97) or 5 (0.39; 0.16-0.93), or had been referred by their general practitioner (0.42; 0.24–0.74) (pseudo R2 0.103). PR is effective for COPD in real-world practice achieving results comparable to trials. Low rates of attendance and completion of PR were not explained by demographic characteristics, disease severity, psychological morbidity and source of referral despite the large number of participants.

Modeling attendance at Spanish professional football league

Prediction of demand for professional sports is increasingly drawing the attention of economists. We apply linear mixed models for modeling attendance figures at Spanish professional football. We investigate economic variables, such as the price of the tickets or the size of the market, and sporting variables, such as the quality of a team or the level of competition within the league, as potential predictors of attendance. It turns out that a model with temporally correlated random team effects provides good forecasts of attendance at a time horizon of two seasons. Results from this model agree with economic theory.

Patterns of attendance in methadone maintenance treatment program in Yunnan Province, China

Objective: To describe the patterns of patients' attendance over the first three quarters of a year under methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics in Yunnan Province, China. Methods: Data were obtained from drug abuse treatment databases from five MMT clinics in Yunnan Province. Patients registered between April 2007 and December 2007 were included in the analysis. The study period was divided into three phases consisting of 3 months each. Logistic regression was used to predict factors determining whether the patients attended the clinic on each day with repetition of the patients taken into account. Results: The median number of days attending the clinics was 61 in the total treatment period, and the likelihood of a patient attending the clinic in the second and third phases was significantly less [odds ratio (OR) = .44 and .30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = .40–.49 and .26–.34] compared with the first phase. The predictors for attendance at clinic were being unmarried (OR = .63, 95% CI = .49–.82), self-employed (OR = .18, 95% CI = .11–.28), having a history of syringe sharing (OR = .67, 95% CI = .48–.92), and having been in a detoxification program (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.09–2.33). Conclusion: Heroin users attended MMT programs irregularly and their periods of attendance significantly declined by duration of the time they stayed in the treatment program. Additional interventions should be employed to help patients adhere to this long-term treatment program.

Alcoholics Anonymous and Hazardously Drinking Women Returning to the Community After Incarceration: Predictors of Attendance and Outcome

The number of women incarcerated within the United States has risen dramatically in recent decades, and high rates of alcohol problems are evident among this population. Although little is known about the patterns of help utilization and efficacy for alcohol problems, preliminary evidence suggests that Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a widely available resource for this population. Data were collected as part of a study evaluating the effect of a brief intervention to reduce alcohol use among hazardously drinking (i.e., score of 8 or above on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test or 4 or more drinks at a time on at least 3 days in prior 3 months) incarcerated women. The current study characterized demographic, clinical, and previous AA attendance variables associated with AA attendance in the 6 months following incarceration. Associations between frequency of AA attendance and drinking outcomes following incarceration were also evaluated. Among the 224 participants who provided data about AA attendance, 54% reported some AA attendance during the follow-up assessment period. AA attendance in the year prior to study entry (OR = 4.02; 95% CI: 3.32 to 4.71) and greater baseline consequences of alcohol use (OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.73 to 2.44) were associated with increased odds of higher frequency of AA attendance following incarceration. Weekly or greater AA attendance was associated with reductions in negative drinking consequences (B = -0.45; p < 0.01) and frequency of drinking days (B = -0.28; p < 0.01) following incarceration. Findings from this study suggest that AA is frequently utilized by hazardously drinking women following incarceration. Alcohol outcomes may be enhanced by AA attendance at a weekly or greater frequency is associated with better alcohol outcomes relative to lower levels of AA attendance. Evaluation of clinical guidelines for prescribing AA attendance for incarcerated women remains a task for future research.

Effect of Destination Image on Attendance at Team Sporting Events

This study examines the relationship between destination image and attendance at professional hockey games. Thirteen destination image attributes were selected to measure the influence of destination image on the decision to attend road games of the Carolina Hurricanes. The study was conducted at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, during a weekday home game and a weekend home game. Fans of differing levels of team identification were surveyed. The different levels of team identification ranged from season ticket holders to mini plan purchasers to game day purchasers. The results of the study indicated that destination image is a predictor of attendance at road games. Attributes, in particular, that were stronger influences on destination image included weather, cost, safety and hospitality. There were also no differences between weekday attendees and weekend attendees. However, fans who were season ticket holders or game day purchasers were influenced by destination image when deciding to travel to road games whereas mini plan purchasers were not.

Predictors of family participation in a multiple family group intervention for aggressive middle school students

AbstractThe authors examine predictors of family participation in the G.R.E.A.T. Families Program of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project (MVPP), a four‐site collaboration examining student, teacher, and family interventions for middle school students. Teachers recruited two cohorts of sixth grade students, recognized as being aggressive and influential with their peers, and their families into a voluntary, 15‐session weekly program. Among the 643 families that consented (66%), the mean number of sessions attended was 8.13, with almost half (48.3%) attending 11 or more sessions. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were developed to predict the number of sessions attended based on a cluster of demographic variables and scales designed to measure aggression, problem behaviors, family factors, and other psychosocial constructs. Three of the nine clusters held significance when associated with attendance: level of aggression as rated by the child (negative association), parent–child bond (negative association), and level of child victimization (positive association). Somewhat surprisingly, the variance component due to interventionist turned out to be small and to constitute a nonsignificant component of the overall variability in attendance. Results suggest that family recruitment for multiple family group programs can be achieved with substantial effort and that resources available for recruitment might be differentially applied across families based on predictors of attendance. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Who attends Vet-to-Vet? Predictors of attendance in mental health mutual support.

This study examines predictors of attendance in Vet-to-Vet, a peer education intervention for veterans co-located with a professionally-run rehabilitative day program. Participants were 218 veterans receiving services from a VA day program at time of study entry who enrolled in an outcome study of Vet-to-Vet. Using multiple regression analysis, baseline variables were examined as predictors of attendance in Vet-to-Vet over the 9-month study period. Attendance over 9 months was associated with attending Vet-to-Vet prior to study enrollment, receiving services from the day program at the one-month follow-up, lower scores on a recovery attitude scale, lower scores on activities of daily living, and greater age. Co-locating peer education or other mutual support programs with professional mental health services may increase participation, and those with more severe functional disabilities and less recovery orientation may participate more actively.

The value of competition: competitive balance as a predictor of attendance in spectator sports

This paper investigates the role of competitive balance among teams in a league in predicting attendance at spectator sporting events. It also controls for the demographic and economic characteristics of the league's markets, and changes in the number of teams in the league. The research relies on a sample that includes 707 non-major professional team seasonal win-loss records (12,956 games) from five sports, aggregated into 75 seasons to develop a model consistent with extant literature. The authors find that competitive balance and average income in the league's markets are significant predictors of leaguewide attendance.

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Understanding women's breast screening behaviour: A study carried out in South East London, with women aged 50—64 years

Objective To understand low uptake of breast cancer screening through exploring the personal reasoning underlying women's attendance or non-attendance, and identifying differences between those who attend and those who decline. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Community and home environments of women eligible for breast screening aged 50—64 years, living in South East London. Method Structured, self-completed or assisted-completion questionnaires. Results The decision to attend or decline screening is rational and personally justifiable, engaging factors linked to emotions and attitude. Attitudes about breast screening and perceived personal importance of breast screening are the strongest predictors of attendance and non-attendance. There are differences between ethnic groups in perceptions of breast screening. Regular attendance at screening is associated with ethnicity, although consistent avoidance of mammography is not. Inconvenience is an important factor in missing appointments, and tends to be prolonged rather than specific to the time or day of the pre-booked invitation. GP and health worker advice are good persuaders towards attendance. Pain and anxiety during mammography are notable dissuaders against re-attending. Conclusion Appropriate service provision requires consideration of local factors, as well as the medical needs of the population eligible for breast screening. Lay perceptions of potential personal costs of attending or not attending breast screening are important for guiding health promotion. Information providers should consider the language needs of a culturally and educationally mixed community. Health care professionals are well placed to encourage uptake of breast screening through disseminating information that promotes attendance, both within and outside the breast screening service.

Maternal attributions and expressed emotion as predictors of attendance at parent management training

The effectiveness of parent management training (PMT) as a treatment for child behaviour problems is reduced by high attrition rates. One difficulty with engaging mothers is that, by definition, PMT is directed at the parent, yet many parents believe the cause of the problem lies within the child. Hence the model of therapy offered contradicts their understanding about the cause and nature of the problem. Moreover, the emotional consequence of holding child-responsibility causal attributions is associated with high expressed emotion (EE), a known predictor of poor compliance with therapy in other child psychiatric disorders. Seventy-five consecutive referrals of mothers to a PMT programme were recruited. EE was assessed using the Camberwell Family Interview methodology. Spontaneous causal attributions about their child's problem behaviour were collected from the same interview material and independently coded using the Leeds Attributional Coding System. Attendance data at the PMT programme was collected following completion of programmes. Contrary to expectations, mothers who made child-responsibility attributions and were highly critical about their child's behaviour were no more likely than non-blaming, low EE parents to drop out prematurely from a course of PMT. However, expressing an understanding of their own role in managing their child's behaviour was predictive of attendance. Two factors were, however, more closely associated with greater attrition: having been offered a clinical diagnosis and being from a lower socio-economic family. Socio-economic factors should be viewed as barriers to uptake of services and successful strategies for increasing engagement of families are likely to be economical rather than psychological. However, although the causal attributions mothers make about their child's behaviour did not predict whether they were likely to attend PMT, an exploratory analysis found evidence to suggest that successful engagement with PMT begins early in the referral process and that referring clinicians should ensure treatment options are aligned with diagnoses provided.

Increasing Screening Uptake for a Cervical Smear Test: Predictors of Attendance and the use of Action Plans in Prior Non-Attenders

Abstract The present study investigated the role of anticipated regret within the framework of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in predicting attendance for a cervical smear test in prior non-attenders. The study also examined the effect of “action planning” on attendance for cervical screening in this “at risk” group. The results showed that intention was the only variable consistently related to attendance. The factors that were most predictive of intention were perceived behaviouralcontrol, anticipated regret and, to a lesser degree, subjective norm. Forming an action plan did not increase the likelihood of attendance. Low levels of intention should be addressed as a first step to achieving behaviour change. This might best be achieved by asking women to consider the possible aversive emotional consequences of not attending for a smear, and by developing strategies to foster a sense of personal control over engaging in the behaviour in this target group.

The Oslo Health Study: The impact of self-selection in a large, population-based survey.

BackgroundResearch on health equity which mainly utilises population-based surveys, may be hampered by serious selection bias due to a considerable number of invitees declining to participate. Sufficient information from all the non-responders is rarely available to quantify this bias. Predictors of attendance, magnitude and direction of non-response bias in prevalence estimates and association measures, are investigated based on information from all 40 888 invitees to the Oslo Health Study.MethodsThe analyses were based on linkage between public registers in Statistics Norway and the Oslo Health Study, a population-based survey conducted in 2000/2001 inviting all citizens aged 30, 40, 45, 59–60 and 75–76 years. Attendance was 46%. Weighted analyses, logistic regression and sensitivity analyses are performed to evaluate possible selection bias.ResultsThe response rate was positively associated with age, educational attendance, total income, female gender, married, born in a Western county, living in the outer city residential regions and not receiving disability benefit. However, self-rated health, smoking, BMI and mental health (HCSL) in the attendees differed only slightly from estimated prevalence values in the target population when weighted by the inverse of the probability of attendance.Observed values differed only moderately provided that the non-attending individuals differed from those attending by no more than 50%. Even though persons receiving disability benefit had lower attendance, the associations between disability and education, residential region and marital status were found to be unbiased. The association between country of birth and disability benefit was somewhat more evident among attendees.ConclusionsSelf-selection according to sociodemographic variables had little impact on prevalence estimates. As indicated by disability benefit, unhealthy persons attended to a lesser degree than healthy individuals, but social inequality in health by different sociodemographic variables seemed unbiased. If anything we would expect an overestimation of the odds ratio of chronic disease among persons born in non-western countries.

Predictors of Attendance at a Physical Activity Intervention for African American Women

Predictors of Attendance at a Physical Activity Intervention for African American Women