Enhancing care measures for people with obesity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Brazil

Abstract

This descriptive ecological study sought to analyze the inductive role of a federal financial incentive passed on to Brazilian municipalities in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing the number of individual consultations for the condition of obesity in primary health care (PHC). Secondary data obtained from the Health Information System for Primary Care and from the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN) were used. In 2021, 74.8% of the 5,504 municipalities that received the financial incentive, showed an increase in the number of individual obesity consultations in PHC, compared to 2020. The number of people identified with obesity and the number of individual visits for this condition were higher in 2021 than in the other years analyzed (2017 to 2020). Comparing 2021 with 2020 (year of receipt of the financial incentive), it was observed that the percentage of increase in the number of individual consultations for the condition of obesity was higher than the increase in the number of people identified with obesity in the SISVAN (77.6 % vs. 39.1%). In conclusion, federal financial incentives for municipalities, channeled to enhance care for people with obesity within the scope of PHC, are important mechanisms for inducing actions at the local level.

Key words:
Obesity; Primary health care; National Health System; Public health; COVID-19