In America, the vast majority of children with obesity are not properly or fully screened for the recommended laboratory tests for co-occurring conditions. Such co-occurring conditions include diabetes and liver disease.
During the Yale-led study, released in JAMA, two databases of medical insurance claims were analyzed.
“A total of 156 773 children aged 10 to 18 years with obesity diagnosis codes at a well-child visit from December 1, 2018, through November 30, 2019, were included. Analysis was performed from May 1 to October 31, 2021,” the study reads.
According to the findings, only about 27 percent of children diagnosed with obesity received the appropriate laboratory screening in accordance with American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. 23 percent received possibly unwarranted insulin testing.
What the findings determined: “This cross-sectional study found that similar proportions of children diagnosed with obesity at well-child visits received recommended and nonrecommended screening tests for obesity-related co-occurring conditions.”
“This study’s findings suggest that specific actionable guidelines and interventions are needed to prevent overuse and underuse of screening tests for children with obesity.”
