Semaglutide in the Real World: Attitudes of the Population.

Abstract

Background: Clinical experience with semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus shows that its benefits extend far beyond glucose regulation. This study examines whether this drug is indeed popular among the Croatian population and explores whether factors such as gender or proximity to the healthcare sector influence its potential use, attitudes toward weight loss, and knowledge regarding its application and possible adverse effects.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional population study. In this study we focused on the brand name Ozempic^® for semaglutide as it is the most commonly searched term for semaglutide.

Results: The study included 290 participants, most of who were women (N = 243, 83.8%). As many as 214 (73.8%) people stated they had heard of Ozempic^®; however, there was no significant difference in whether people had heard of Ozempic^® if they had type 2 diabetes mellitus (p = 0.415). In total, 23.4% of people stated they knew someone who took Ozempic^®. Women were significantly more likely to feel pressure about their appearance than men, with 51.1% of men reporting no pressure at all compared to only 39.9% of women (p = 0.015). A majority of participants agreed that social media strongly affects perception on the use of medications for weight loss (73.8%). Individuals with a family member in the healthcare field were significantly more informed about the possible adverse reactions of semaglutide compared to those without such a connection. Among participants without a healthcare professional in the family, 75.0% reported being unaware of potential adverse effects, compared to 47.9% of those with a family member in healthcare. Moreover, participants with a healthcare professional in the family were more likely to know the correct route of administration for Ozempic^® (68.1% vs. 54.6%, p = 0.025); Conclusions: The results of this study show that three-quarters of people had heard of Ozempic^®, regardless of whether they had an indication for its use or not. In addition, the results indicate that although both men and women share satisfaction with their bodies, women feel more pressured by societal expectations related to their appearance.