title: Determinants of nutrition appointment attendance among male veterans attending Veterans Health Administration clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify determinants of nutrition appointment attendance among male veterans attending outpatient Veterans Health Administration clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sequential use of qualitative and quantitative methods. Individual, semi-structured interviews and a mail survey were used to identify factors associated with outpatient nutrition appointment attendance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Qualitative analysis of 17 interviews revealed 6 themes reflecting rationales for missed appointments: travel difficulty, forgetting the appointment, competing demands, scheduling difficulty, knowledge not new or useful, and lack of provider support. Analysis of 349 returned surveys indicated past attendance history, health status, and participation in the referral and scheduling process correlated to appointment attendance (P < .05). Regression analysis substantiated the importance of social support (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Veterans Health Administration patients should participate in the referral and scheduling process. Social support, perceived health status, and past attendance history are important considerations for patient and provider to address.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Service, 120B, James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL. Electronic address: Claire.bell@va.gov.
authors.forename: Claire F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bryant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052756:Nutritional Sciences; D010349:Patient Compliance; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058014:Veterans Health
keywords: ambulatory care; dietitian; health care; veterans