What factors determine whether individuals found to have hypercholesterolaemia at mass screening accept advice to visit their physician

Objective: This study aims to identify the determinants of compliance with the recommendation to visit a physician for advice which was given to indiv iduals whose cholesterolemia was > 6.2 mmol/l at mass screening for risk fa ctors of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: Data were collected from 1144 adults found to be hypercholesterole mic during a screening programme in 54 work sites and 29 public areas and c ontacted by phone two to six months later. Based on the Health Belief Model , perceived seriousness, perceived self-efficacy, and cues to action were m easured. Potential determinants of compliance to the recommendation were ex amined using multivariate analyses. Results: Mean compliance was 58.6%. For the perceived seriousness dimension of the Health Belief Model, personal history of CVD or risk factors, and p rior awareness of cholesterol levels were important determinants. Those alr eady treated for hypercholesterolemia comply twice as much as those who wer e aware and untreated. Among cues to action, higher cholesterol levels and hypertension are associated with greater compliance; however, smokers were less likely to comply. The dimension of perceived self-efficacy, as measure d by ease of access to health services and prior success in eating habit mo dification, is also associated with compliance to the recommendation. Compl iance increases significantly with age. For those previously aware of their elevated cholesterol level, variables representing perceived self-efficacy were no longer determinants. For those previously unaware of their elevate d cholesterol level, variables representing CVD perceived threat do not inf luence compliance. Conclusion: The Health Belief Model appears to be an appropriate framework to the determinants of compliance with the recommendation to visit a doctor during mass screening.