Annual prevalence of the body mass index documentation in the UK primary care: A cross‐sectional study using IQVIA medical research data
Authors' conclusion
Although fewer than half of adults had a BMI recorded in 2023, documentation rates were high among patients with chronic disease and multimorbidity. These findings suggest that BMI recording in UK primary care is targeted and clinically driven. and compares favourably with data from other European countries.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged ≥18 years with at least one general practice visit in 2023, UK primary care
- Participants
- 1,202,812 adults
- Outcome
- Documentation of at least one BMI entry during the year based on recorded measurements
- Follow-up
- 2023
Methodological detailselectronic health records, IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD) database, multivariable logistic regression
- Electronic health records
- IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD) database
- Multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Documented BMI
Patients with a documented body mass index (BMI)
499 610
41.5%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
BMI documentation by age · 2023
- Age ≤40 years
- 28.9%
- Age >70 years
- 53.7%
- More prevalent among older adults
BMI documentation by sex · 2023
- Women
- 42.3%
- Men
- 40.6%
- Slightly more common in women
BMI documentation by chronic condition · 2023
- T2D
- 80.4%
- Ischemic heart disease
- 70.5%
- Hypertension
- 65.1%
Odds of BMI documentation (multivariable logistic regression) · 2023
- T2D, OR
- 3.97 (3.91-4.02) (95% CI)
- Dyslipidaemia, OR
- 2.78 (2.75-2.80) (95% CI)
- One chronic condition vs none, OR
- 2.10
- More than four chronic conditions vs none, OR
- 14.21
- Odds increased progressively with number of conditions
Original publication
Annual prevalence of the body mass index documentation in the UK primary care: A cross‐sectional study using IQVIA medical research data. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 1 December 2025. doi:10.
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