Abstract P063: Socioeconomic Status And Component Of Iatrogenic Obesity In The United States

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Introduction: Overweight and obesity are more prevalent in people with lower socioeconomic status (SES). Use of obesogenic prescription medications such as certain anticonvulsants, antidepressants, beta-blockers, and antidiabetic medications may contribute to the disparities in obesity by SES in US adults. Methods Using data from the 2009-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we assessed the use of obesogenic medication by SES among overweight and obese adults aged ≥20 years taking ≥1 prescription medication. Based on low SES indicator – <high school education, household income <federal poverty level, and having public health insurance only, we categorized participants into 3 SES groups (0, 1, and ≥2 low SES indicators as high, intermediate, and low SES). We used logistic regression to examine the association between SES and obesogenic medication use. All analyses accounted for the complex NHANES survey design. Results Among 11,796 participants (mean age 54.6, 54.1% female), the mean body mass index (SE) was 32.5 (0.1) kg/m 2 . Use of obesogenic medication was more common among people with lower SES in all survey years, with a trend toward increased prevalence over time among people with low SES ( Figure ). Lower SES was associated with obesogenic medication use in demographic-adjusted models (OR 1.4 [95%CI 1.2-1.5] for intermediate SES and 1.9 [1.7-2.1] for low SES, compared to high SES). The associations remained significant after further accounting for number of medications (OR [95% CI] =1.1 [1.0-1.3] for intermediate SES and 1.2 [1.0-1.4] for low SES). Results were consistent when assessed by individual SES indicators. Conclusions: Use of obesogenic medication is common in the US. Lower SES was associated with more frequent use of obesogenic medication even after controlling for medication burden. These results suggest that disparities in obesogenic medication use may contribute to the higher obesity prevalence among people with lower SES.