Physician practice patterns of obesity diagnosis and weight-related counseling

Abstract Methods We analyzed cross-sectional clinical encounter data. Obese adults were obtained from the 2005 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey ( N = 2458). Results A third of obese adults received an obesity diagnosis (28.9%) and approximately a fifth received counseling for weight reduction...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Patient education and counseling 2011-01, Vol.82 (1), p.123-129
Main Authors: Bleich, Sara N, Pickett-Blakely, Octavia, Cooper, Lisa A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Body Mass Index
Comorbidity
Counseling
Counselling
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diagnosis
Doctors
Exercise
Female
Humans
Internal Medicine
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Nursing
Obese people
Obesity
Obesity - classification
Obesity - diagnosis
Obesity - epidemiology
Obesity - prevention & control
Physician practice patterns
Physicians
Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Retrospective Studies
Sex Distribution
United States
Weight Loss
Weight-related counseling
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Methods We analyzed cross-sectional clinical encounter data. Obese adults were obtained from the 2005 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey ( N = 2458). Results A third of obese adults received an obesity diagnosis (28.9%) and approximately a fifth received counseling for weight reduction (17.6%), diet (25.2%), or exercise (20.5%). Women (OR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.09), young adults ages 18–29 (OR = 2.61; 95% CI: 1.37, 4.97), and severely/morbidly obese individuals (class II: OR 2.08; 95% CI: 1.53, 2.83; class III: OR 4.36; 95% CI: 3.09, 6.16) were significantly more likely to receive an obesity diagnosis. One of the biggest predictors of weight-related counseling was an obesity diagnosis (weight reduction: OR = 5.72; 95% CI: 4.01, 8.17; diet: OR = 2.89; 95% CI: 2.05, 4.06; exercise: OR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.67, 3.85). Other predictors of weight-related counseling included seeing a cardiologist/other internal medicine specialist, a preventive visit, or spending more time with the doctor ( p < 0.05). Conclusions Most obese patients do not receive an obesity diagnosis or weight-related counseling. Practice implications Preventive visits may provide a key opportunity for obese patients to receive weight-related counseling from their physician.
ISSN:0738-3991
1873-5134
DOI:10.1016/j.pec.2010.02.018