Exploring Racial and Ethnic Differences in Utilization of Medications for Obesity Management in a Nationally Representative Survey

Background

The burden of obesity falls disproportionately on some racial and ethnic minority groups.

Objective

To assess for racial and ethnic differences in the utilization of obesity-management medications among clinically eligible individuals.

Design

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2011–2016, 2018 and 2020) data and a cross-sectional study design was used to assess for racial and ethnic differences in obesity-management medication utilization. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the association of race and ethnicity with obesity-management medication utilization. Adjusted models controlled for demographics, socioeconomic status, obesity class, diabetes status, number of chronic conditions, insurance status, and geographic region.

Participants

Adults with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² and individuals with a BMI ≥ 27 kg/m² with ≥ 1 weight-related condition.

Main Measures

The primary outcome measure was utilization of an FDA-approved medication for obesity-management during the study period. The primary independent predictor was race and ethnicity. Separate indicator variables were created for each racial and ethnic group (Non-Hispanic Asian, Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic White (reference group)).

Key Results

In adjusted analyses, Asian (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.77; P < 0.01), Black (aOR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.68; P < 0.001) and Hispanic individuals (aOR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.98; P = 0.04) had significantly lower odds of utilizing obesity-management medications compared to White individuals.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that there are racial and ethnic disparities in the use of obesity-management medications.