Association between medical institution visits and participation in specific health checkup among persons insured by national health insurance

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between the status of receiving medical treatment at medical institutions and the behavior of participating in specific health checkups, taking into consideration the types of diseases that are being treated at medical institutions.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data on the status of receiving medical treatment at medical institutions and participating in specific health checkups in 2019 and responses to a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire survey conducted in 2020 among the National Health Insurance insured persons aged 40 to 74 years in Matsuura City, Nagasaki Prefecture. The presence or absence of the specific health checkup was used as the dependent variable and the status of receiving medical treatment at medical institutions as the independent variable, and the results were analyzed performing logistic regression analysis by age group after adjusting for sociodemographic background.

Results: A total of 1927 respondents of the questionnaire survey whose data were not missing were analyzed. Regardless of gender, family structure, years of education, exercise habits, self-rated health, and self-rated economic status, “persons with medical treatment for hypertension or dyslipidemia” (P<0.001) and “persons with medical treatment for conditions other than hypertension and dyslipidemia” (P<0.001) more likely participated in the specific health checkups than those who had not received any medical treatment among those aged 60 to 74 years. However, no statistically significant trend was observed among those aged 40 to 59 years.

Conclusion: Among persons aged 60 to 74 years, persons with any medical treatment regardless of the type of disease more likely participated in the specific health checkups.