Obesity risk control in older adults at the primary care level

Abstract

Introduction: Overweight and obesity are considered a global epidemic that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arterial hypertension. In Mexico, 74.2 % of adults are overweight or obese, and 81.6 % suffer from abdominal obesity. Objective: To describe the control of obesity risk in older adults in the first level of medical care in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Methodology: Descriptive, cross-sectional study, sample of 382 older adults aged 60 years and older, both genders, who attended their medical consultation at two first level health care clinics of the Government Workers' Social Security and Services Institute (Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado). Those who were referred to the emergency services for health reasons were excluded. The sociodemographic data sheet and the Obesity Risk Control questionnaire, resulting from the taxonomy of nursing results, were used. Approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the health institution. Data were analyzed through measures of central tendency and frequency distribution. Results: 45.3 % were overweight and 29.1 % were obese. Obesity risk control with low average was resources to control weight. 47.1% reported that they sometimes keep track of their obesity risk. Conclusions: Obesity risk control is essential in the first level of care, since it allows maintaining the expanded nursing role in this sector, as well as health promotion and disease prevention.