Don’t Change Much

Abstract

Few studies have assessed differences in the prevalence of and economic burden attributable to tobacco smoking, excess weight, physical inactivity, and alcohol use by gender. This article examines these gender differences in Canadians between the ages of 30 and 64 years. It also estimates the potential cost avoidance if the prevalence of the four risk factors (RFs) were reduced modestly in males. Data on the prevalence of the RFs and the relative risk of disease associated with each of the RFs were combined to calculate population-attributable fractions. A prevalence-based cost-of-illness approach was used to estimate the economic burden associated with the four RFs. Middle-aged Canadian males are more likely to smoke tobacco (26.4% vs. 20.2%), consume hazardous or harmful levels of alcohol (14.6% vs. 8.2%), and have excess weight (65.6% vs. 47.1%) than middle-aged Canadian females, resulting in an annual economic burden that is 27% higher in males than females. No significant differences were observed in the proportion of males who are physically inactive (48.4% vs. 49.4%). Modelling only a 1% annual relative reduction each year through to 2036 would result in a cumulative cost avoidance between 2013 and 2036 of $50.7 billion. The differences in RF prevalence between middle-aged males and females have an important effect on the population’s economic burden. A modest annual reduction in the four RFs in males can significantly affect population health and the economy over time.

The economic benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption in Canada

“…Rather, it represents the maximum change in economic burden over a period of time given specific assumptions about changes in risk factor(s). 3,40 Several important conclusions might be drawn from this analysis. First, consumption levels appear to be highest in children, and steadily decrease until age 25 for females and age 30 for males.…”

Tobacco Cost of Illness Studies: A Systematic Review

“…24,25 To adjust for the lag time of some health conditions, eight studies used the smoking impact ratio, 21,26 and three the lagged prevalence, with the remainder using the current prevalence or not describing a method. 27,28 Supplementary Table 2 included. We note that the differences in methodologies used in calculating costs and the variations in the disease conditions considered in each study precluded any meaningful comparisons across populations, time, and studies.…”

“…Regardless of such differences, tobacco-related costs are clearly nontrivial across countries. For example, tobacco use contributed to an estimated USD 11-15.1 billion in health care (direct and indirect) costs between 2012 and 2013 in Canada, 27,30 while in Indonesia, nearly USD 2.2 billion was linked to tobacco-related treatment costs. 31 In the United States, smoking accounted for about USD 289-332.5 billion in medical expenses over the period 1964-2014.…”

Unhealthy Behaviors Among Canadian Men Are Predictors of Comorbidities: Implications for Clinical Practice

“…Conversely, theories have been proposed suggesting excessive alcohol consumption causes insulin resistance and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction, predisposing one to diabetes (Kim & Kim, 2012). This controversy suggests that interventions that prescribe manageable change such as “Don’t Change Much” may provide avenues for sustainable adjustments, employing harm reduction rather than necessitating a focus on abstinence (Krueger, Goldenberg, Koot, & Andres, 2017). Interestingly, diet in this study was not predictive but this may be due to heterogeneity of dietary recommendations for diabetic prevention and the study capturing diabetic patients who may have already made dietary modifications for control and further prevention of worsening disease as part of first line management (Asif, 2014; Povey & Clark-Carter, 2007).…”