TITLE:
Assessment of Weight and Health in the Emergency Department: A Cross-Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Matthew F. Ryan
KEYWORDS:
Obesity, Comorbid Conditions, Health and Weight, Patient Perceptions, Emergency Medicine, Patient-Provider Communication
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Emergency Medicine,
Vol.10 No.2,
June
29,
2022
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases continues to rise. A key aspect of prevention
and treatment of these disorders requires clear communication about weight and
health between patients and healthcare providers. Objective: We sought to examine the prevalence rate of obesity and associated
comorbid illnesses in an emergency department (ED) population. A second aim was
to assess patients’ perceptions of their weight and their overall health. Methods: This is
a cross-sectional study performed in an academic tertiary-care center using a
representative sample of patients (≥18 yr) who presented to the ED. Pregnant
patients, patients who were medically unstable, cognitively impaired or who
were unable or unwilling to provide informed
consent were excluded. Anthropometric measurements were taken which include
BMI (the ratio of a patient’s weight and height expressed as kg/m2) and waist circumference. In addition,
the prevalence rates of all enrolled patients who 1) feel their health
is affecting their weight and 2) who have had or recall discussions about their
health and weight with their provider were examined by using a two-question
validated survey. Results: The
overall prevalence rate of obesity in this study was 38.6%. Only 71.8% (95% CI,
63.2% - 80.6%) of overweight patients (BMI = 25.0 - 29.9) and 28.4% (95% CI,
21.6% - 35.2%) of obese patients (BMI ≥ 30.0) believe their present weight is damaging to their health. Further, only
15.5% (95% CI, 8.5% - 22.6%) and 59.4% (95% CI, 53% - 67%) of those
overweight and obese, respectively, recall being informed by their healthcare
provider they are overweight. For morbidly obese patients (BMI ≥ 40.0), 79.6%
(95% CI, 12.2 - 28.6) feel their weight is damaging their health and 83.7% (95%
CI, 9.4 - 23.2) recall having a conversation about weight with their healthcare
provider. Conclusion: Many obese and overweight patients believe their weight
does not impact their health and have not had discussion about weight
and health with their healthcare provider.