Introduction
Governments around the world are seeking to address
the increasing prevalence of obesity and hypertension. Our objective was to
evaluate the effect of an incentive-based development program (Oportunidades, formerly Progresa) on body mass index
(BMI), blood pressure, and self-reported health.
Methods
An intervention group of low-income (below the 20th
percentile nationally), rural, Mexican adults (aged 30–65 years) (n = 5280)
received program benefits (cash transfers contingent on positive changes in
health behavior such as regular health checkups) for 3.5 to 5.0 years. They were
compared with a newly recruited control group of adults (n = 1063) who had not
yet begun receiving benefits. Analyses were adjusted for almost 50 social and
economic covariates.
Results
Age- and sex-adjusted BMI was lower in adults from
intervention communities than in those from control communities (26.57
kg/m2 vs 27.16 kg/m2, P < .001), as was the
prevalence of obesity (20.28% vs 25.31%, P < .001) and overweight
(59.24% vs 63.04%, P = .03); these results were attenuated after
covariates were included. Adults in intervention communities had a lower
combined prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension (33.80% vs 34.52%, P =
.008) when adjusting for all covariates. Mean systolic (β = –2.60, P <
.001) and diastolic (β = –2.84, P < .001) blood pressures were
significantly lower in the intervention communities after all covariates were
included, and self-reported health outcomes were better.
Conclusions
Participation in Oportunidades, a large-scale cash-transfer program, was
associated with lower prevalence of obesity and hypertension and better
self-reported health in adults in rural Mexico.