Eligibility for obesity management in Peru: Analysis of National Health Surveys from 2014 to 2022

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased fastest in low- and middle-income countries in the last decades. Together with this rising prevalence, pharmacological and surgical interventions for obesity have emerged. How many people need these treatments is unknown. We quantified the prevalence of people in need of pharmacological and surgical treatment for obesity in Peru between 2014 and 2022. Methods: Repeated cross-sectional analysis of national health surveys in Peru was conducted. Eligibility for pharmacological treatment for obesity was: body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 or BMI ≥27 kg/m2 alongside type 2 diabetes or hypertension (self-reported). Eligibility for bariatric surgery were BMI ≥40 kg/m2 or BMI between 35 to 39.9 kg/m2 linked to weight-related health problems. We used Poisson regressions to identify associated factors with eligibility for obesity management. Results: Across years, 260,131 people (mean age 44.0 and 54.5% were women) were studied, 66,629 (27.7%; 95% CI: 27.4% - 28.1%) were eligible for obesity medication, and 5,263 (2.5%; 95% CI: 2.4% - 2.6%) were eligible for bariatric surgery. Female sex, older age, higher socioeconomic level and study year were associated with higher probability of eligibility for both obesity medication and bariatric surgery. Conclusions: Eligibility for obesity management has increased over time in Peru. There is a need to strengthen policies to tackle overweight and obesity in Peru, acknowledging that some individuals may benefit from pharmacological and surgical interventions.