2020 Volume 47 Issue 3 Pages 431-439
Objective:
We aimed to determine whether the use of an information and communication technology (ICT)-based tool for monitoring post-screening health and lifestyle habits encouraged individuals to undergo regular screening and improve their own health.
Methods:
The study targeted 43,043 individuals who underwent a health screening in the fiscal year 2013. The participants were grouped into either "user group" or "non-user group" depending on whether or not they used a health and lifestyle habit monitoring tool. The study also estimated the propensity score of the probability that participants registered their use of a monitoring tool. Linear regression and subgroup analyses were performed by the number of use times of this tool in a year.
Results:
Evaluation of the association between monitoring tool use/non-use and repeated participation in screening during the next year showed a significantly higher level of repeated participation in the user group than in the non-user group. After the propensity score-adjusted, the user group was also significantly higher than that of the non-user group for both men (81.9% vs. 72.5%) and women (77.7% vs. 70.0%). The results of subgroup analysis in men indicated a propensity towards significantly lower BMI and waist circumference in participants who had a higher number of logins.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that self-monitoring using a health and lifestyle habit monitoring tool after health screening leads to a higher rate of participation in screening the following year and improvement in screening results, especially in men. This outcome was attributed to greater health awareness and motivation to undergo screening the following year based on the individual's recognition of his/her screening results and awareness of lifestyle habits.
