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Obese use more health resources more often: UCDavis Study
Obese use more health resources more often: UCDavis Study -- Posted by Sweet Zombie Jesus! on 06-08-05 06:23
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated differences in the use of health
care services and associated costs between obese and nonobese patients.
RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: New adult patients (N = 509) were
randomly assigned to primary care physicians at a university medical
center. Their use of medical services and related charges was monitored
for 1 year. Data collected included sociodemographics, self-reported
health status using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36,
evaluation for depression using the Beck Depression Index, and measured
height and weight to calculate BMI.
RESULTS: Obese patients included a significantly higher percentage of
women and had higher mean age, lower mean education, lower mean health
status, and higher mean Beck Depression Index scores. Obese patients
had a significantly higher mean number of visits to both primary care
(p = 0.0005) and specialty care clinics (p = 0.0006), and a higher mean
number of diagnostic services (p < 0.0001). Obese patients also had
significantly higher primary care (p = 0.0058), specialty clinic (p =
0.0062), emergency department (p = 0.0484), hospitalization (p =
0.0485), diagnostic services (p = 0.0021), and total charges (p =
0.0033). Controlling for health status, depression, age, education,
income, and sex, obesity was significantly related to the use of
primary care (p = 0.0364) and diagnostic services (p = 0.0075). There
was no statistically significant relationship between obesity and
medical expenditures in any of the five categories or for total
charges.
DISCUSSION: Obesity is a chronic condition requiring long-term
management, with an emphasis on prevention. If this critical health
issue is not appropriately addressed, the prevalence of obesity and
obesity-related diseases will continue to grow, resulting in escalating
use of health care services.
Obes Res. 2005 Feb;13(2):372-9. Obesity and the use of health care
services.Bertakis KD, Azari R.Department of Family and Community
Medicine, University of California, Davis, 4860 "Y" Street, Suite 2300,
Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. kdbertakis@ucdavis.edu
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