Factors Associated with Attendance in a Nutrition Education Program for Hyperlipidemic Patients

This study was conducted to examine factors with attendance in hyperlipidemia nutrition eduction program among 101 hyperlipidemic outpatients (38 males 63 females) at Samsung Medical Center We employed the Health Belief Model (HBM) as the theoretical framework The individual nutrition education and counseling program was scheduled with 4- half hour session sin 2 to 4 weeks intervals. Upon initiation of the program a trained dietitian surveyed HBM constructs and psychosocial factors. The following were included perceived susceptibility to cardiovascular disease(CVD) perceived severity to CVD percieved benefits to diet modification perceived barriers to persistence in maintaining therapy and self efficicacy and social support from family Sociodemographic data health factors stress level nutrition knowledge, and 24-hour dietary recall behavior were also surveyed All these data was analyzed according to the number of nutrition sessions attended The subjects were 55.9$\pm$9.4 year old and 24.6$\pm$kg/㎡ Sociodemographic factors were not associated with the number of nutrition sessions attended HBM constructs and psychosocial factors were significantly associated with the number of nutrition sessions attended. According to Spearman correlation coefficients. From stepwis regression analyses using HBM constructs as independent variables perceive barriers to persistence in maintaining diet therapy (negative) proved to be the strongest predictors for the number of nutrition sessions attended (partial R$^2$= 72.3%) followed by perceived severity to CVD and self efficacy (model R$^2$=76.6% The findings indicate that HBM constructs and psychosocial factors were closely associated with patient attendance It suggests that information and guidance to minimize patients perceived barriers to diet therapy might help to improve patients to scheduled appointments in nutrition education programs.