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The following is a summary of “Recording practices of body mass index, overweight and obesity by Dutch general practitioners: an observational study,” published in the January 2025 issue of Primary Care by Hout et al.
Routine body mass index (BMI) recording in electronic health records (EHR) can assist general practitioners (GPs) in managing obesity.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate BMI, overweight, and obesity recording practices in primary care in the Netherlands, with subgroup analysis by age, sex, and comorbidities.
They conducted an observational study of individuals aged ≥18 years, registered between 2007 and 2023, using routine healthcare data from the Extramural LUMC Academic Network (ELAN) in the Netherlands. Outcomes included incidence rates of recorded BMIs per 1,000 person-years for sex and ten-year age categories, proportions of recorded BMIs for different comorbidities, and proportions of overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) diagnoses for corresponding recorded BMIs.
The results showed that approximately 30% of 676,708 individuals had a recorded BMI. The highest incidence rate (186 per 1,000 person-years) was in individuals aged 71 to 80 years. Recorded BMIs were found in 68.5% of individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 70.6% with hypertension, 86.3% with type II diabetes, 42.4% with eating disorders, 36% with depression, and 64.2% with osteoarthritis. Overweight and/or obesity were diagnosed in 11.5% of individuals with a BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 and 36.4% with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2.
Investigators found that BMI recording was not routine in primary care but was more common in those with chronic diseases. They suggested making it standard practice due to the rising prevalence of obesity.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02696-8
