Health care and outcomes in persons with obesity in Canada; an analysis of Canadian Institute for Health Information data 2018-2022

Overweight and obesity are associated with physical, functional, and mental health risks across the continuum of care. The purpose of this thesis was to quantify the ICD-10 code use for overweight and obesity (E66) in healthcare settings across Canada, and explore patient care of persons with obesity within emergency departments in Ontario. This study utilized data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database and National Ambulatory Care Reporting System from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2022. Regional variations in E66 use were observed, where the highest rates of coding were seen in Manitoba, and the lowest rates in British Columbia (2018-2019) and PEI (2020-2021). Ontario was the only province to show an increase in E66 coding over time. Compared to controls matched for age, sex, and main diagnosis, patients with an E66 code had higher average length of stay, longer wait time for physician initial assessment, and higher triage scores.