Abstract
Despite being equally affected by obesity, females represent the vast majority of obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. We aimed to identify potential gender disparities among African American (AA) patients seeking bariatric surgery at our institution. Demographics, presence of comorbidities, socio-economic variables, type of consultation, and attrition rates were compared among male and female patients. A total of 710 patients were referred for bariatric surgery; 468 (65.9%) were AA: 68 (14.5%) male and 400 (85.5%) female. Male patients were older, were more frequently married, and had higher prevalence of obesity-related comorbidities, as compared to female patients. Male patients showed significantly higher high school graduation rates, higher income, and longer distance to the hospital. The use of telehealth was similar in both groups. Male patients had significantly higher attrition rates (73.5% vs. 56.7%, p=0.009). Strategies to better promote and increase access to bariatric surgery to male patients should be prioritized.
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Key Points
• Very few African American male individuals with obesity seek bariatric surgery.
• Demographic and socioeconomic variables are different among men and female surgical candidates.
• Attrition rates are significantly higher among male patients.
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Schlottmann, F., Baz, C., Dreifuss, N.H. et al. Gender Disparities in Bariatric Surgery Among African Americans. OBES SURG 32, 2820–2822 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-022-06154-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-022-06154-1