Factors associated with the abandonment of outpatient nutritional follow-up in children and adolescents

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors associated with dropout of follow-up care among children and adolescents in a public secondary health care service. This was a retrospective, exploratory analytical cohort study, using data from the medical records of patients seen between June 2019 and June 2022 at a nutrition outpatient clinic in Paraná. Participants were divided into two groups based on the purpose of follow-up, with sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric data as predictors and dropout (a dichotomous variable) as the outcome. Descriptive analysis and Poisson Regression with robust variance by group were performed. In group 1, children under six months of age (68.8%), males (62.8%), referred due to food allergies (47.9%) predominated, and the number of consultations and family clinical history reduced the risk of dropout. In group 2, composed of adolescents (54.8%), females (51.9%), referred for overweight/obesity (83.7%), age range, and family clinical history also reduced the risk of dropout, whereas nutritional status increased it. The results highlight nutritional status, family medical history, and the number of appointments as determinants of follow-up outcomes. Careful observation of these factors is essential for developing strategies that promote patient retention in health services.