Findings show lower use among Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults versus White adults
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Racial and ethnic disparities are seen in the use of obesity-management medications, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.
Kimberly Narain, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Christopher Scannell, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, assessed racial and ethnic differences in the utilization of obesity-management medications among clinically eligible individuals. The analysis included data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2011 to 2016, 2018, and 2020) for adult participants with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 and individuals with a body mass index ≥27 kg/m2 with one or more weight-related conditions.
The researchers found that Asian (adjusted odds ratio, 0.36), Black (adjusted odds ratio, 0.51), and Hispanic individuals (adjusted odds ratio, 0.70) had significantly lower odds of utilizing obesity-management medications compared with White individuals. Among Black and Hispanic individuals, factors partially accounting for these disparities included lower levels of education, lack of health insurance, and higher levels of public health insurance.
“These findings call for the continued exploration of the utilization and perception toward the ever evolving and modernizing obesity medication market,” the authors write. “Understanding the perceptions of all populations toward emerging and popularized treatment options is essential to minority health.”
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