RESUMEN
AIMS: To explore socio-demographic characteristics of non-attenders at diabetic retinal screening. METHODS: A retrospective, register-based cross-sectional analysis of 10,275 participants invited to diabetic retinal screening in Te Tai Tokerau (Northland) between May 2011 and June 2020 was performed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of age, sex, type of diabetes, ethnicity and socio-economic deprivation with non-attendance at diabetic retinal screening. RESULTS: Median age was 66 years and 54.3% of participants were male. The non-attendance rate was 26.4%, with 46.6% of individuals having at least one non-attendance. Younger age was associated with higher odds of non-attendance (OR 1.84 95% CI 1.41-2.40, <0.001 for odds of non-attendance in those aged under 35 years compared with age over 75 years). Maori (OR 2.69, 95% CI 2.44-2.96, p<0.001) and Pacific peoples (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.25-2.36, p=0.001) had higher odds of non-attendance compared with NZ Europeans. People living in areas of high socio-economic deprivation had higher odds of non-attendance (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.33-1.82, p<0.001), as did type 1 diabetics (OR 1.31, p5% CI 1.08-1.59, p=0.006). CONCLUSION: Younger age, socio-economic deprivation, type 1 diabetes and Maori and Pacific ethnicity are risk factors for nonattendance at diabetic retinal screening.
