Key result
Excess weight is highly underdiagnosed among veterans, missing ~96% of overweight and most obese patients.
Why the study?
Underdiagnosis of obesity remains a significant problem in the Veterans Administration population despite its high prevalence.
What is the rate of underdiagnosis of overweight and obesity in the Veterans Administration population, and what factors are associated with it?
Observational (n=2,900,067)
What is the rate of underdiagnosis of overweight and obesity in the Veterans Administration population, and what factors are associated with it?
There is a massive underdiagnosis of overweight and obesity in the VA population, particularly among overweight individuals (96% undiagnosed), highlighting a critical gap in clinical recognition and subsequent management.
Obesity underdiagnosis in VA cohorts was associated with demographics; leaves open whether targeted coding interventions improve recognition.
Background: This paper examined the gap between obesity and its diagnosis for cohorts of patients with overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity in the Veterans Administration (VA) population. Using the risk adjustment models, it also identified factors associated with the underdiagnosis of obesity. Methods: Analysis was performed on a VA data set. We identified diagnosed patients and undiag-nosed patients (identified through BMI but not diagnosed by ICD-10 codes). The groups’ de-mographics were compared using nonparametric chi-square tests. We used logistic regression analysis to predict the likelihood of the omission of diagnosis. Results: Of the 2,900,067 veterans with excess weight, 46% were overweight, 46% had obesity, and 8% of them had morbid obesity. The overweight patients were the most underdiagnosed (96%), followed by the obese (75%) and morbidly obese cohorts (69%). Older, male, and White patients were more likely to be undiagnosed as overweight and obese; younger males were more likely to be undiagnosed as morbidly obese. (p<.05) Comorbidities significantly contributed to diagnosis. Conclusion: Underdiagnosis of obesity continues to be a significant problem despite its prevalence. Diagnosing obesity accurately is necessary to provide effective management and treatment.
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Başer et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Overweight and obesity (n=2,900,067). Excess weight (overweight, obesity, morbid obesity) was evaluated on Omission of diagnosis (identified through BMI but not diagnosed by ICD-10 codes). Underdiagnosis of excess weight was highly prevalent among veterans, occurring in 96% of overweight, 75% of obese, and 69% of morbidly obese patients.
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