• Isabelle Peytremann-Bridevaux and Brigitte Santos-Eggimann.
• Health Services Research Unit, Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Lausanne (IUMSP), 17 Bugnon, CH-1005, Lausanne, Switzerland. Isabelle.Peytremann-Bridevaux@chuv.ch
• J Gen Intern Med. 2007 Jul 1; 22 (7): 923929923-9.

BackgroundAlthough frequent contacts with health care systems may represent more opportunities to receive preventive services, excess body weight has been linked to decreased access to preventive services and quality of care.ObjectiveThe objective of the study is to examine whether obese and overweight, compared to normal weight persons, have different experiences of preventive care.DesignThe study design is cross-sectional. Baseline data (2004) of a population-based survey conducted in 10 European countries.ParticipantsThe participants were noninstitutionalized adults, 13,859, (50-79 years) with body mass index (BMI) > or = 18.5 kg/m2, who answered the baseline and supplementary questionnaires (overall response rate of 51.3%) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).MeasurementsBMI was divided into normal weight (BMI, 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9 kg/m2), and obesity (BMI >30 kg/m2). Reported dependent variables were: influenza immunization, colorectal and breast cancer screening, discussion and recommendation about physical activity, and weight measurement. We performed multivariate logistic regressions, adjusting for age, sex, education, income, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and country.ResultsOverweight and obesity were associated with higher odds of receiving influenza immunization but not with receipt of breast or colorectal cancer screening. Overweight and obese individuals mentioned more frequently that their general practitioner discussed physical activity or checked their weight, which was not explained by chronic diseases or the number of ambulatory care visits.ConclusionsThese first data from SHARE did not suggest that overweight or obesity were associated with decreased use of preventive services.

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