Attendance and referral patterns in a health promotion program for soldiers

We studied referral patterns among 505 active duty Army participants in a heath promotion program at Fort Lewis, Washington. Over one-third (35.6%) were referred to health care providers for confirmation of cholesterol or blood pressure screening results. Fifty-two (10.3%) had elevated blood pressure screening measurements, of whom 30% had been previously diagnosed as hypertensive. One hundred forty-six had cholesterol levels greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl, 22.8% of whom were already aware of hypercholesterolemia. Referral for follow-up was not associated with race, sex, or rank after controlling for age. Screening resulted in a large number of referrals for previously unrecognized abnormalities.