Impact of diagnosis of overweight and obesity on weight management among hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a growing epidemic associated with a 30% increase in general mortality. Despite this, diagnosis and treatment is still deficient. A large number of patients with overweight and obesity enter hospitals daily; therefore, the hospital setting could be used as a scenario for intervention in this population.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the frequency of diagnosis and treatment of overweight/obesity in hospitalized patients and to identify the factors involved in the probability of offering a diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from 316 patients aged 18 years and over admitted in the Department of Internal Medicine during 2016-2017 period. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between the possible predictors and the diagnosis of overweight and/or obesity and the development of a treatment.

RESULTS

Only 10.8% of the population was diagnosed (overweight 2.6%, obesity 18.8%). Patients with a BMI >40kg/m2 had a greater probability of being diagnosed (OR=1.87; 95% CI, 2.2-19.4; p=0.001). Only 4.4% of the population received treatment (overweight 3.2%, obesity 5.6%) and the only factor that increased the probability of receiving treatment was having been diagnosed with overweight/obesity in the medical record (OR=2.28; 95% CI, 2.31-41.94; p=0.002).

DISCUSSION: Despite the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among hospitalized patients, there is no adequate diagnosis and treatment. Future research should be directed at strategies that increase medical recognition of overweight/obesity as well as identifying the long-term benefits of diagnosing overweight/obesity for the reduction and control of body weight.