The awareness of patients regarding periodical health examination within a sample from a university hospital

Abstract

Objective: Periodic health examinations (PHE) have an important role in effective and efficient submission of primary healthcare. In our country, limited number of studies describes individuals’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors about periodic health examination. Aim of this study was to determine the patients’ awareness of PHE in a university hospital sample.

Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in 2013 September-2014 February, the sample size was determined through the power analysis from the universe including 3400 people as 1280 individuals above 18 years old and who consulted a university hospital outpatient clinic because of any reason. Subjects, who signed the informed consent, underwent a face to face interview to fill out the questionnaire by three educated pollster. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 package program. Descriptive data was summarized as average, standard deviation, frequency distribution and percentage. Relations between variables were evaluated by chi-square test. Affecting factors of frequency of PHE visits per se were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. P values < 0.05 were accepted as statically significant.

Results: Among subjects, the average age was 37.2±15.4 (18-82), male to female ratio was 1:1.6 with 38.1% of male, 56.3% were married, 53.4% had at least one child, 72.3% were high school graduated, and 32.8% had least one chronic disease. Off them, 65.7% consulted a clinician in order to undergo a PHE, while 53.2% could describe preventive medicine correctly. The suggested period between two consecutive periodic health examinations was 12.7±11.4 months in average. Logistic regression analysis, demonstrate that factors affecting the annual consultation of PHE were age, monthly income, work status, having any chronic disease and having first-degree relatives with chronic diseases. PHE contents suggested for children, males and females by subjects showed significant differences.

Conclusion: Although there was a certain awareness regarding PHE among participants, they had inadequate knowledge about the principles of PHE. A substantial portion of the participants thought that PHE and Check-ups are the same. By means of supporting the primary care physicians with standardized PHE contents and appropriate screening guidelines containing up-to-date health concerns, PHE will become an indispensible part of the physicians’ daily practices.