Clinic attendance in the hypertension detection and follow-up program.

Abstract

Factors related to individuals becoming inactive with respect to clinic visit attendance as well as factors related to returning to the active state after becoming inactive in the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program (HDFP) were investigated using survival analysis methods and a 2-state regression model specificially designed for this application. Patients were significantly more likely to move from active clinic attendance to inactive if they were younger, had lesser educational attainment, were unemployed, were cigarette smokers or had lower baseline diastolic blood pressures. The tendency for an inactive clinic attender to return to active attendance was greater if the patient was younger, black or had higher baseline diastolic blood pressure. Differences between centers regarding clinic attendance were also significant.