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Imported Compounded Diet Pill Use Among Brazilian Women Immigrants in the United States

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Abstract

In Brazil, compounded diet pills that combine amphetamines, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, diuretics and laxatives are often prescribed. In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration banned their sale in the United States (US) citing substantial safety concerns. This study evaluates the prevalence of, and factors associated with, use of these pills among Brazilian immigrant women aged 18–50. Pill use was assessed at one clinic and two churches using an anonymous survey (n = 307). While living in the US, 18% of clinic respondents and 9% of church respondents reported using these diet pills. Nearly two thirds of pill users reported adverse effects. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, being unmarried, college educated, dissatisfied with current weight, and advised by a US physician to lose weight were associated with greater odds of imported diet pill use. To enhance care of Brazilian immigrants, US physicians should become familiar with the health consequences of imported diet pills from Brazil.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the local Brazilian community and the dedicated staff of Somerville Primary Care whose help made this study possible. In addition, we are indebted to Lise Fried, PhD for statistical advice; Juliana Coelho for coordinating the community survey; and Jenny Lee-Olsen for expert research assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA, 02143, USA

    Pieter A. Cohen & Danny McCormick

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Pieter A. Cohen, Danny McCormick, Carolyn Casey & Karen A. Hacker

  3. Institute of Community Health, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Glen F. Dawson & Karen A. Hacker

Authors
  1. Pieter A. Cohen
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  2. Danny McCormick
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  3. Carolyn Casey
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  4. Glen F. Dawson
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  5. Karen A. Hacker
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Correspondence to Pieter A. Cohen.

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Cohen, P.A., McCormick, D., Casey, C. et al. Imported Compounded Diet Pill Use Among Brazilian Women Immigrants in the United States. J Immigrant Minority Health 11, 229–236 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9099-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9099-x

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