Key result
Physical inactivity costs in Hungary dropped ~2.1 billion HUF between 2009 and 2017.
Why the study?
Physical inactivity is closely related to the risk of developing certain diseases, resulting in direct and indirect economic burdens that needed quantification in Hungary between 2005 and 2017.
Observational
Physical inactivity imposes a massive economic burden on the national economy, primarily driven by cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, highlighting the financial value of public health initiatives promoting active lifestyles.
May reflect benefits of inactivity-reduction efforts in Hungary; leaves open causal links and generalizability.
BACKGROUND: National economies are increasingly facing the challenge of having to finance the prevention and treatment of human diseases, and of having to compensate for the resulting loss of economic production. Physical inactivity is demonstrably closely related to the risk of developing certain disease group. Physical inactivity results in direct and indirect burdens that the present study intends to quantify in Hungary for the period between 2005 and 2017. METHODS: Based on the data of the Hungarian public finances, this study determines the direct and indirect costs incurred by Hungary due to illnesses, and, through the PAR method, it quantifies the financial burden of physical inactivity incurred by the Hungarian Treasury. RESULTS: The total financial burden of illnesses in Hungary showed a decreasing tendency from 2005 to 2017, even though the year 2017 saw an increase in costs compared to 2014. Similarly, while total public expenditure on illnesses associated with physical inactivity increased by 2017 when compared to 2009, the total amount attributable to medical conditions stemming from physical inactivity still showed a decrease of 2 billion HUF in the overall period. The biggest economic burden is posed by cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the economic burden associated with physical inactivity can be attributed to the combined effect of two factors: changes in total expenditure on specific disease groups (which showed an increase in the period under review) and changes in the physical activity levels of the Hungarian population (which showed an improvement over the period under review). Initiatives in Hungary aimed at encouraging an active lifestyle from childhood onwards should be continued since - beyond the initial impact that has already been felt to some extent in recent years - these initiatives will come to their full fruition in the coming decades.
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Ács et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Physical inactivity and associated diseases. Physical inactivity vs. Physical activity was evaluated on Total financial burden of illnesses associated with physical inactivity. The total financial burden attributable to medical conditions stemming from physical inactivity in Hungary decreased by 2.1 billion HUF between 2009 and 2017.
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