A health inequality impact assessment from reduction in overweight and obesity

Bender, Anne Mette; Sørensen, Jan; Diderichsen, Finn; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik

doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09831-x

“…While the number of health expectancy studies that stratify both by risk factor exposure and socioeconomic position is sparse, this is even more so for diabetes-free life expectancy studies that combine socioeconomic position and health determinants. To our knowledge, only the two studies mentioned in the introduction 7 , 8 investigated the effect of obesity on diabetes-free life expectancy. Furthermore, only the simulation study by Bender et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bender et al . 8 showed that diabetes was a main source of health inequality related to educational differences in overweight and obesity in Denmark.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the association between education and obesity on diabetes-free life expectancy

Brønnum-Hansen,

Davidsen,

Andersen

2023

European Journal of Public Health

Self Cite

2

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The purpose of the study was to quantify the association between body weight and health by estimating the expected lifetime with and without diabetes (diabetes-free life expectancy) at age 30 and 65. In addition, the diabetes-free life expectancy was stratified by educational level. Methods Life tables by sex, level of education and obese/not obese were constructed using nationwide register data and self-reported data on body weight and height and diabetes from the Danish National Health Survey in 2021. Diabetes-free life expectancies were estimated by Sullivan’s method. Results The difference in life expectancy between not obese 30-year-old men with a long and a short education was 5.7 years. For not obese women, the difference was 4.1 years. For obese men and women, the difference in life expectancy at age 30 was 7.0 and 5.2 years. Women could expect more years without and fewer years with diabetes than men regardless of body weight and educational level. Diabetes-free life expectancy differed by 6.9 years between not obese 30-year-old men with a short and a long education and by 7.7 years for obese men with a short and a long education. For women, the differences were 5.9 and 6.6 years. Conclusion The results demonstrate an association of obesity and educational level with life expectancy and diabetes-free life expectancy. There is a need for preventive efforts to reduce educational inequality in life expectancy and diabetes-free life expectancy. Structural intervention will particularly benefit overweight people with short education.

show abstract

“…Along with epidemiological studies, cost of illness studies help to demonstrate the harmful effects of diseases in financial terms. This information, with cost-effectiveness studies, can then be used by policy makers to prioritise the allocation of resources to prevention, treatment and research [ 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health care costs and lost productivity costs related to excess weight in Belgium

Gorasso

¹

,

Moyersoen

²

,

Heyden

³

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background This study aimed to estimate annual health care and lost productivity costs associated with excess weight among the adult population in Belgium, using national health data. Methods Health care costs and costs of absenteeism were estimated using data from the Belgian national health interview survey (BHIS) 2013 linked with individual health insurance data (2013–2017). Average yearly health care costs and costs of absenteeism were assessed by body mass index (BMI) categories – i.e., underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m2), overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). Health care costs were also analysed by type of cost (i.e. ambulatory, hospital, reimbursed medication). The cost attributable to excess weight and the contribution of various other chronic conditions to the incremental cost of excess weight were estimated using the method of recycled prediction (a.k.a. standardisation). Results According to BHIS 2013, 34.7% and 13.9% of the Belgian adult population were respectively affected by overweight or obesity. They were mostly concentrated in the age-group 35–65 years and had significantly more chronic conditions compared to the normal weight population. Average total healthcare expenses for people with overweight and obesity were significantly higher than those observed in the normal weight population. The adjusted incremental annual health care cost of excess weight in Belgium was estimated at €3,329,206,657 (€651 [95% CI: €144-€1,084] and €1,015 [95% CI: €343–€1,697] per capita for individuals with overweight and obesity respectively). The comorbidities identified to be the main drivers for these incremental health care costs were hypertension, high cholesterol, serious gloom and depression. Mean annual incremental cost of absenteeism for overweight accounted for €242 per capita but was not statistically significant, people with obesity showed a significantly higher cost (p < 0.001) compared to the normal weight population: €2,015 [95% CI: €179–€4,336] per capita. The annual total incremental costs due to absenteeism of the population affected by overweight and obesity was estimated at €1,209,552,137. Arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, was the most important driver of the incremental cost of absenteeism in individuals with overweight and obesity, followed by hypertension and low back pain. Conclusions The mean annual incremental cost of excess weight in Belgium is of concern and stresses the need for policy actions aiming to reduce excess body weight. This study can be used as a baseline to evaluate the potential savings and health benefits of obesity prevention interventions.

show abstract

“…Along with epidemiological studies, cost of illness studies help to demonstrate the harmful effects of diseases in nancial terms. This information, with cost-effectiveness studies, can then be used by policy makers to prioritise the allocation of resources to prevention, treatment and research [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Along with epidemiological studies, cost of illness studies help to demonstrate the harmful effects of diseases in nancial terms. This information, with cost-effectiveness studies, can then be used by policy makers to prioritise the allocation of resources to prevention, treatment and research [7].In Belgium, as in many high-income countries, average body mass index (BMI) has increased over the past decades among both children and adults.According to the Belgian health examination survey (BHES), in 2018, more than half of the adult population was overweight and 16% was obese [8]. The latest available cost data reported that in 2010, around €600 million was spent on medical care of obesity related pathologies [9].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Health care costs and lost productivity costs related to excess weight in Belgium

Gorasso

¹

,

Moyersoen

²

,

Heyden

³

et al. 2021

Preprint

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background This study aimed to estimate annual health care and lost productivity costs associated with excess weight among the adult population in Belgium, using national health data. Methods Health care costs and costs of absenteeism were estimated using data from the Belgian national health interview survey (BHIS) 2013 linked with individual health insurance data (2013–2017). Average yearly health care costs and costs of absenteeism were assessed by body mass index (BMI) categories – i.e., underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²), normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m²), overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m²) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). Health care costs were also analysed by type of cost (i.e. ambulatory, hospital, reimbursed medication). The cost attributable to excess weight and the contribution of various other chronic conditions to the incremental cost of excess weight were estimated using the method of recycled prediction (a.k.a. standardisation). Results According to BHIS 2013, 34.7% and 13.9% of the Belgian adult population were respectively overweight or obese. They were mostly concentrated in the age-group 35–65 years and had significantly more chronic conditions compared to the normal weight population. Average total healthcare expenses for overweight and obese people were significantly higher than those observed in the normal weight population.

show abstract

A health inequality impact assessment from reduction in overweight and obesity

Cited by 6 publications

References 37 publications

Impact of the association between education and obesity on diabetes-free life expectancy

Impact of the association between education and obesity on diabetes-free life expectancy

Health care costs and lost productivity costs related to excess weight in Belgium

Health care costs and lost productivity costs related to excess weight in Belgium

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About