Baseline age and clinically relevant weight reduction among Peruvian formal workers with overweight or obesity: a longitudinal observational study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14306/renhyd.30.4.2864Keywords:
Obesity, Overweight, Body Mass Index, Weight Loss, Occupational HealthAbstract
Introduction: Excess body weight is a major public health issue, and longitudinal evidence on clinically meaningful anthropometric change among Latin American workers remains limited. In this study, baseline age was defined as age recorded at the first valid occupational evaluation. We aimed to estimate the association between baseline age and the adjusted probability of first clinically relevant weight or body mass index reduction during occupational follow-up among Peruvian formal workers with overweight or obesity.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal observational study using secondary records from occupational medical evaluations performed between 2013 and 2021. The main exposure was baseline age, defined as age recorded at the first valid occupational evaluation. The primary outcome was the first observed reduction of at least 5% of baseline weight during follow-up. No specific weight-loss treatment was evaluated. Eligible workers had valid baseline age, sex, anthropometry, baseline BMI ≥25 kg/m², and at least one plausible follow-up anthropometric measurement. Baseline age was modeled with splines, and adjusted marginal probabilities were estimated using pooled discrete-time logistic regression.
Results: The analytic cohort included 8,363 workers and 10,962 worker-visit records; 1,333 workers (15.9%) achieved ≥5% weight reduction. The adjusted cumulative probability of first achieving ≥5% baseline weight reduction was 15.6% at 25 years, 14.7% at 40 years, 17.6% at 60 years, and 21.0% at 65 years. No single age cutoff was identified. Probabilities were higher among workers with baseline obesity than among those with baseline overweight.
Conclusions: Baseline age was modestly associated with clinically relevant weight reduction, without evidence of an age threshold. These findings describe observed longitudinal changes during routine occupational evaluations and should not be interpreted as causal effects of an unmeasured intervention.
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