Association between obesity and injury among Taiwanese adults

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of obesity and injury has increased in Asian countries, but the relationship between obesity and injury is less well established. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI), the occurrence of injury, and the injury-related expenditure among Taiwanese adults. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Our study sample consisted of 12 520 adults aged 18 years or older from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey, who had consented to the linking of their survey responses with their National Health Insurance claims records. Cox proportional hazards regression and a two-part model were used for analysis. Results: The results show that there was a positive association between BMI and injury. Relative to normal-weight adults, the hazard ratio (HR) of injury were 1.21 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.36) for obese class II adults and 1.11 (95% CI: 1.05-1.18) for obese class I adults, after adjusting for confounding factors. The HR of sustained strain/sprain rose to statistical significance (Po0.001) among persons with a higher BMI. For obese class II and I adults, the adjusted injury-related expenditure levels were 33.4 and 15.6%, respectively, greater than those of normal-weight adults. Conclusions: There was a strong positive relationship between high BMI and increased risk of injury as well as higher injuryrelated expenditure. Specifically, a high BMI was associated with an increased risk of strain/sprain. Low-intensity flexibility, strength, and balance training programs should be considered in addition to weight reduction programs to prevent strain/sprain for obese adults.

Does obesity contribute to non-fatal occupational injury? Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth

“…Our result is consistent with prior studies based on smaller longitudinal samples (20,25,26) and crosssectional population studies that address adults' injuries and are not limited to the workplace (42)(43)(44)(45). Overall, these findings suggest that obese workers (BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ) are at increased risk of injury with an OR range of 1.2-1.8.…”

Association between Obesity and Unintentional Injury in Older Adults

“…Our results for sprains/strains are in line with others who, regardless of the age group studied, report an increased risk for overall sprains and strains in obese individuals [5][6][7]. This finding is also consistent with our framework which suggests that the excessive weight in obese persons may increase the odds for sprains and strains possibly by increasing the stress on the musculoskeletal system [44].…”

“…Although not theory driven, several previous studies, which included adults of all ages, have examined the association between obesity and fractures occurring at any anatomical location [5][6][7][8]. The results from these studies indicate that obese adults have a greater fracture risk than their normal-weight counterparts.…”

“…Obesity is a well established risk factor for several chronic disorders [3] and physical disability [4] in older adults. There is also emerging evidence that obesity is associated with unintentional injury [5][6][7][8], defined as injuries that do not involve violence or neglect. Unintentional injuries are a potentially important outcome of obesity to study in the elderly given that they account for 34% of deaths in this age group [9].…”

Effect of Body Mass Index in Patients Administered Epidural Steroid Injection for Back Pain

“…Overweight and obesity increase the risk of low back pain [3]. Several possible mechanisms explain this association: mechanical overloading on the vertebral column [4], systemic inflammation [5], and disc degeneration [6]. Whatever the cause of back pain, conservative treatment methods (bed rest, medical treatment, physical therapy) are applied first [1,2].…”