What question did this study set out to answer?

To quantify the magnitude of increased healthcare utilization and expenditures across outpatient, emergency room, and prescription drug settings among overweight and obese children.

March 19, 2009Obesity

The Impact of Obesity on Health Service Utilization and Costs in Childhood

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Authors

LTLeonardo TrasandeWagner College SCSamprit ChatterjeeIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

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Implication

National survey analysis reveals increased healthcare utilization and expenditures in overweight and obese youth, highlighting substantial immediate economic burdens.

Key Points

To quantify the magnitude of increased healthcare utilization and expenditures across outpatient, emergency room, and prescription drug settings among overweight and obese children.
Analyzed data from 6- to 19-year-olds in the 2002–2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a national probability survey of the US civilian noninstitutionalized population.
Performed descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses to assess outpatient visits, emergency room visits, and prescription drug utilization and costs by weight status over two years.
Children who were obese across both MEPS years had USD194 higher outpatient visit expenditures, USD114 higher prescription drug expenditures, and USD12 higher emergency room expenditures compared with normal/underweight peers.
Children who were overweight in both years, or overweight in one year and obese in the other, incurred USD79 higher outpatient, USD64 higher prescription drug, and USD25 higher emergency room expenditures.
Elevated childhood BMI was associated nationally with an estimated USD14.1 billion in additional annual prescription drug, emergency room, and outpatient visit costs, heavily concentrated among adolescents.

Cite This Study

Trasande et al. (2009) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a1d2b1b68a6eca4522f4bd3 https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2009.67

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Implication

National survey analysis reveals increased healthcare utilization and expenditures in overweight and obese youth, highlighting substantial immediate economic burdens.

The Impact of Obesity on Health Service Utilization and Costs in Childhood

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

The Impact of Obesity on Health Service Utilization and Costs in Childhood

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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