BMI and Waist Circumference for Increased Overweight and Obesity Diagnosis

Abstract

Overweight and obesity rates in the United States are reaching epidemic proportions and is a greater reality to rural communities. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, quality improvement project was to increase rates of accurate overweight and obesity diagnoses and documentation by implementing evidence-based guidelines in weight screening practices using body mass index and waist circumference. The setting for this project was a rural Missouri primary care clinic and the participants consisted of 104 adult patients at their annual wellness visits. The intervention included the provision of educational resources to clinic staff and patients, as well as implementation of standardized weight screening, using body mass index and waist circumference. The results indicated an increase in the documentation of overweight and obesity diagnoses, which was clinically significant. Despite the marginal success of the project, evidence-based weight screening fosters improvement in the health of adults in rural Missouri.