Impact of overweight or obesity trajectory on health expenditure in Korea. (20th June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kim, T H; Han, E
• Is Part Of: Journal of public health. Volume 42:Number 2(2020:Jun.)
• Page Start: e165
• Page End: e173
• Publication Date: 2019-06-20
• Subjects: cost analysis -- health services -- long-term effect -- obesity; Public health -- Periodicals; Public health -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Medical policy -- Periodicals; Medical policy -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 362.1
• DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdz068
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1741-3842

Abstract

Abstract: Background: This study aimed to identify the effect of the overweight or obesity (OWOB) trajectory on current health care expenditure in South Korea. Methods: Ten years of publicly released data (2002–12) were obtained in 2016 from a retrospective cohort of National Health Insurance System claims. This study included 51, 844 adults (aged 30–59 years in 2002) and 21, 196 elderly adults (aged ≥ 60 years in 2002). Results: Compared with adults who maintained normal weight (NW), higher yearly total health expenditures were estimated for adults who lost weight over the 10-year period: by 11.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18–22.96%) when changing from NW to underweight (UW) and 6.2% (95% CI: 0.47–12.01%) from OWOB to UW/NW. Elderly adults had higher health expenditures when they lost weight by 14.0% (95% CI: 0.37–27.70%) from NW to UW and 6.8% (95% CI: 0.13–13.51%) from OWOB to UW/NW compared with when they maintained NW. Conclusions: These findings indicate the importance of early intervention to control OWOB, particularly because people in late adulthood have greater health care needs for reasons other than OWOB.