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The association between employee obesity and employer costs: evidence from a panel of U.S. employers.
- Source :
-
American journal of health promotion : AJHP [Am J Health Promot] 2014 May-Jun; Vol. 28 (5), pp. 277-85. - Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Purpose: To estimate the employer costs associated with employee obesity.<br />Design: The study used cross-sectional analysis of employee health-risk assessment, disability, workers' compensation, and medical claims data from 2006 to 2008.<br />Setting: The study took place in the United States from 2006 to 2008.<br />Subjects: A panel database with 29,699 employees drawn from a panel of employers and observed for 3 years each (N = 89,097) was used.<br />Measures: Workdays lost owing to illness and disability; the cost of medical, short-term disability, and workers' compensation claims; and employees' adjusted body mass indices (BMI) were measured.<br />Analysis: We model the number and probability of workdays lost from illness, short-term disability, and workers' compensation events; short-term disability and workers' compensation payments; and health care spending as a function of BMI. We estimate spline regression models and fit results using a third-degree fractional polynomial.<br />Results: Probability of disability, workers' compensation claims, and number of days missed owing to any cause increase with BMI above 25, as do total employer costs. The probability of a short-term disability claim increases faster for employees with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes. Normal weight employees cost on average $3830 per year in covered medical, sick day, short-term disability, and workers' compensation claims combined; morbidly obese employees cost more than twice that amount, or $8067, in 2011 dollars.<br />Conclusion: Obesity is associated with large employer costs from direct health care and insurance claims and indirect costs from lost productivity owing to workdays lost because of illness and disability.
- Subjects :
- Body Mass Index
Costs and Cost Analysis statistics & numerical data
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity epidemiology
Occupational Health statistics & numerical data
Sick Leave economics
Sick Leave statistics & numerical data
United States epidemiology
Workers' Compensation economics
Workers' Compensation statistics & numerical data
Health Care Costs statistics & numerical data
Obesity economics
Occupational Health economics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2168-6602
- Volume :
- 28
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- American journal of health promotion : AJHP
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 24779722
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.120905-QUAN-428