[Longitudinal Analysis of Factors Associated with Participation in Community-based Mass Screening for the Frail Elderly in Need of Care]

Purpose: To examine factors associated with participation in a community based comprehensive health check to screen frail elderly before they become in need of long-term care.

Methods: All residents aged 70 years and over living in Kusatsu, Gumma prefecture were surveyed for their sociodemographics, and physical, mental and social functioning through in-person interview in the years 2001 and 2003. In the following years--in 2002 and 2004, respectively--mass screenings were conducted to detect early signs of need for care among the elderly. Using the baseline interview information as explanatory variables, we performed multiple logistic regression analysis in order to examine the social determinants of participation in the mass-screening.

Results: For the first mass-screening, having high blood pressure and poor subjective health decreased the likelihood of attending the screening by 34% and 65% respectively. In contrast, one point increases in IADL, mobility and social-role score increased the probability of attendance by 27%, 26% and 26% respectively. After the screening was re-conducted, the factors influencing attendance appeared to have changed. With a third mass-screening, while the IADL and mobility score still had significant effects, elderly having excellent subjective health were less likely to go by some 48%. It was also found that not having visual impairment had a significantly positive effect on attendance.

Conclusion: If local government conducts community-based mass screening aiming to screen the frail elderly in need of care, it is likely that there are high risk elderly among the non-participants. It is very important to follow up those non-participants using an attendance roll and provide appropriate advice. It is also worth discussing mass screening that focuses more on health promotion than on "screening" itself.