The association between body mass and health care expenditures

Heithoff, Kim A.; Cuffel, Brian J.; Kennedy, Sean; Peters, Jodi

doi:10.1016/s0149-2918(97)80104-x

Cited by 64 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Outpatient, laboratory, and pharmacy charges were not found to be greater in the highest WC or BMI quartiles. Other studies have found that high BMI is associated with greater outpatient costs (18,20). The present study also found no association between gender, ethnicity, or smoking status and health care charges, although this study was not designed to detect such differences.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

Relationship between Waist Circumference, Body Mass Index, and Medical Care Costs

et al. 2002

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

CORNIER, MARC-ANDRE, CHARLES W. TATE, GARY K. GRUNWALD, AND DANIEL H. BESSESEN. Relationship between waist circumference, body mass index, and medical care costs. Obes Res. 2002;10: 1167-1172. Objective: Excessive visceral adiposity as measured by anthropomorphic measures may be more closely associated with adverse health consequences than body weight or body mass index (BMI), the more commonly obtained clinical measures. Waist circumference (WC) provides information about regional adiposity and may correlate with health care costs better than body weight or BMI. Research Methods and Procedures:A total of 424 men (37%) and women (63%) were identified as they were seen in outpatient medical clinics at Denver Health, an integrated health care system serving a largely indigent population. Height, weight, and WC were measured by one examiner. Information on outpatient, laboratory, pharmacy, inpatient, and total charges attributable to each subject for the preceding year were obtained from computerized databases. Data on health care charges were divided into quartiles based on WC and BMI. Results: Total annual health care charges were significantly greater in the highest WC quartile (WC Ͻ 83.3 cm: $6062 Ϯ $784; 83.3 to 93.5 cm: $5968 Ϯ $812; 93.7 to 103.5 cm: $6369 Ϯ $1015; Ͼ103.5 cm: $8699 Ϯ $1092; p ϭ 0.047). Those with a WC Ͼ103.5 cm generated 85% more inpatient charges than the group with a WC Ͻ83.3 cm. Although there was a positive trend, BMI was not found to significantly correlate with total health care charges in this population sample.Discussion: These results suggest that abdominal adiposity as assessed by WC is associated with increased total health care charges and may be a better predictor of health care charges than the more widely used BMI.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

Relationship between Waist Circumference, Body Mass Index, and Medical Care Costs

et al. 2002

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the USA, a study of over 17 000 men and women found positive associations between BMI and rates of hospital attendance and annual costs of treatment, but it was not possible to assess the effects of poor nutritional status because subjects with BMI of < 20 kg/m 2 were deliberately excluded (Quesenberry et al 1998). In a study of 16 000 subjects who took part in the US National Medical Expenditure Survey (Heithoff et al 1997), the likelihood of using any health care service rose as BMI increased, but there was evidence of a 'U'-shaped relationship between BMI and expenditure on health care. Some of the highest annual expenditures were seen in men with BMI of < 20 kg/m 2 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outcomes of undernutrition in patients in the community with cancer or cardiovascular disease

et al. 1999

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Public health concern has tended to focus on the dangers of obesity, but there is evidence that undernutrition may also pose a risk to physical and mental well-being, particularly in those who are already ill. Using the General Practice Research Database (see office for Population Censuses and Surveys, 1995), we followed up 10 128 men and women aged 18 years and over who had been diagnosed with cancer or cardiovascular disease to examine whether nutritional status, as indicated by BMI, affected rates of use of health care resources and mortality. In both diagnostic groups, patients with a BMI below 20 kg/m 2 had higher rates of consultation with GP, higher rates of prescription and higher death rates during the follow-up period compared with those with a BMI of 20 -< 25 kg/m 2 . In men and women with cardiovascular disease, poor nutritional status was associated with a sharply increased risk of hospital admission. Patients whose BMI was 30 -< 40 kg/m 2 also tended to have increased rates of GP consultation and prescription, and if they were under the age of 65 years, they had an increased risk of death. The results of the present study suggest that in men and women with cancer or cardiovascular disease, even minor degrees of undernutrition are associated with a marked increase in morbidity and mortality. Malnutrition: Cancer: Cardiovascular diseaseIn Britain, as in most other industrialized countries, growing evidence linking a raised BMI with an increased incidence of CHD and some forms of cancer has focused public health concern on the risks of being overweight (Staessen et al.

show abstract

“…In most of these studies, data on weight and hospital use were collected concurrently, and in some, information regarding weight was actually collected after information regarding hospitalizations. [3][4][5][7][8][9][10] In addressing factors that are part of the causal pathway between obesity and hospitalization, prospective studies have included assessments of data on health conditions. 6,8 Statistical control of such health conditions (e.g., type II diabetes) constitutes overadjustment 11 ; studies including health conditions in their analyses have shown no effect of obesity, leading to the erroneous inference that obesity is not an important risk factor for hospitalization.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Obesity has been strongly associated with a range of health problems; however, studies that have examined the association between obesity and hospitalization have failed to provide consistent results. Some of these studies have revealed elevated risks of hospitalization associated with obesity, 3,4 others have shown no association [5][6][7] or even a decreased risk, 8,9 and still others have shown a gender-specific 10 or age-specific 8 relation-…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Length of Hospital Stays Among Obese Individuals

et al. 2004

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Results. Individuals with body mass indexes (BMIs) of 35 kg/m 2 or above, those with BMIs of 30 to 34 kg/m 2 , and those with BMIs of 25 to 29 kg/m 2 had crude length-of-stay rates greater than those of normal-weight individuals. Association between BMI and length of stay varied over time.Conclusions. Obese individuals experience longer hospital stays than normalweight individuals. (Am J Public Health. 2004;94:1587-1591 ship. In most of these studies, data on weight and hospital use were collected concurrently, and in some, information regarding weight was actually collected after information regarding hospitalizations. [3][4][5][7][8][9][10] In addressing factors that are part of the causal pathway between obesity and hospitalization, prospective studies have included assessments of data on health conditions. 6,8 Statistical control of such health conditions (e.g., type II diabetes) constitutes overadjustment 11 ; studies including health conditions in their analyses have shown no effect of obesity, leading to the erroneous inference that obesity is not an important risk factor for hospitalization. 6,8 Our objective in this study was to estimate, by means of a longitudinal analysis, lengths of hospital stay among individuals categorized according to their weight status. Our data were derived from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) Epidemiologic Followup Survey (NHEFS). METHODS Survey DescriptionThe baseline for the NHEFS was NHANES I, conducted between 1971 and 1975. 12 In NHANES I, data were collected from a national probability sample of the United States civilian noninstitutionalized population, and the survey included a standardized medical examination and questionnaires covering various health-related topics. The NHEFS cohort consisted of 14 407 individuals who were aged 25 years or older at their baseline interview. A series of 4 follow-up surveys was conducted during 1982 through 1984 and in 1986, 1987, and 1992. Body Mass Index MeasurementRespondents' weight status was classified according to National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) criteria. Body mass indexes (BMIs; weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) were calculated at baseline and categorized as follows: less than 18.5 kg/m 2 , 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m 2 , 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m 2 , 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m 2 , and 35 kg/m 2 or above (as described in the NHLBI guidelines). 13 Respondents with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m 2 were the reference group in the analysis. Women who were pregnant at baseline were excluded (n = 124). HospitalizationsNumber of inpatient hospitalization days was the outcome measure of interest. Respondents reported hospital admissions that occurred between their baseline and final interviews. Reports of hospital stays were elicited through a series of questions in the NHEFS interviews. Respondents were asked to report the dates of all overnight facility stays since their most recent interview. With respondents' permission, all reported facilities were contacted by mail and asked t...

show abstract

The association between body mass and health care expenditures

Cited by 64 publications

References 5 publications

Relationship between Waist Circumference, Body Mass Index, and Medical Care Costs

Relationship between Waist Circumference, Body Mass Index, and Medical Care Costs

Outcomes of undernutrition in patients in the community with cancer or cardiovascular disease

Length of Hospital Stays Among Obese Individuals

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About