Follow-up After Posbindu NCD Screening in Indonesia: Sociodemographic Predictors of Primary Care Engagement

Timely follow-up after community-based screening is critical for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In Indonesia, Pos Pembinaan Terpadu (Posbindu) provides grassroots-level screening for hypertension and diabetes. This study examined sociodemographic factors associated with whether screened individuals completed follow-up at primary healthcare facilities.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 277 adults identified with hypertension and/or elevated glucose during Posbindu screening in Aceh Besar, Indonesia. All were referred to a primary healthcare facility (Puskesmas) for clinical confirmation. Sociodemographic data were collected via questionnaire. A penalized logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of follow-up.

Following the screening, less than half of participants (42.2%) completed follow-up. Older age was associated with a higher likelihood of follow-up attendance (AOR = 1.17 per year, 95% CI: 1.13-1.22), and females were more likely to attend follow-up than males (AOR = 3.00, 95% CI: 1.28-7.02). In contrast, being employed (AOR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.11-0.44) and not being married (AOR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.18-0.84) were associated with lower follow-up attendance.

Less than half of referrals completed care. Age, gender, marital status, and employment were key determinants of follow-up attendance, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to strengthen continuity of care after community-based screening.

This study was a cross-sectional observational study and was not registered as a clinical trial.