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Participation in the Scheme n (%)
Willingness to participate in the Scheme (n=1,233; for those without
prior HDH diagnosis)
Yes 928 (75.3)
No 231 (18.7)
Don’t know / No opinions 74 (6.0)
Participation frequency (n=928; of those willing to participate)
Once every 6 months 94 (10.1)
Once every 1–2 years 705 (76.0)
Once every 3 years or more 35 (3.8)
Irregularly 9 (1.0)
According to professional advice 60 (6.5)
Don’t know / No opinions 25 (2.7)
Preferred sector for follow-up (n=1120; of those willing to participate)
Public 302 (27.0)
Private 413 (36.9)
No preference 342 (30.5)
Will not attend follow-up 11 (1.0)
Don’t know / No opinions 52 (4.6)
Notes: [1] Data is presented as “average %” (% regular screening for hypertension; % regular screening for diabetes;
% regular screening for hyperlipidaemia)
[2] Data is presented as “% regular screening for hypertension (% regular screening for diabetes; % regular screening
for hyperlipidaemia)” as only hypertension screening guidelines recommends regular screening for those < 45 years
(FHB, 2021b)
[3] HA: Hospital Authority; PPP: Public-Private Partnership

Prevalence of chronic conditions is higher in older age group

Roughly 92.0% of chronic health conditions was observed amongst
respondents aged ≥ 45 years, whereas 8% of chronic conditions were observed in
respondents aged 18–44 years (Question 6a). This centralisation of chronic conditions
amongst the middle and older age groups (≥ 45 years) suggests the importance of this age
group regularly accessing primary care services, specifically screening and disease
management.

Older individuals participate more in regular screening

Respondents’ participation in screening behaviours increased with age. In particular,
amongst respondents aged 45 years and older, the average proportion of
individuals who regularly participated in screening (categorised as screening at
intervals of 3 years or shorter) for blood pressure, blood sugar, or blood lipids was 80.1%,
with regular screening proportions of 81.1%, 80.6%, and 78.8%, respectively (FHB, 2018).

However, when this group of participants aged 45 and older is further stratified into the age
groups of 45–54, 55–64, and 65+ years, we find that older participants are increasingly more
likely to engage in regular screening. In the study conducted by Huang et al. (2021) using the
same survey participants as this study, but focusing principally on those aged 45 and above,
findings indicated increasing likelihood of participation in screening with age (these findings
are also presented in the attendant PICO report). This finding holds true for screening for at
least one factor within HDH, for at least two factors, and for all three factors (see Table 4.5)
(Huang et al., 2021). Additionally, the screening percentage for hypertension
amongst those under age 45 was only 34.5% (only regular hypertension screening
is recommended for those under age 45) (Question 2). Given the disparity in screening
behaviour across age, it is critical to target individuals in the 45–54 years or younger age
range and to explore respondents’ underlying rationales for behaviour in order to boost
willingness to engage in all recommended screenings. In particular, findings highlight the
need to boost screening for hypertension amongst individuals under the age of 45.

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