%0 Journal Article
%T Influencia de la obesidad en los costos en salud y en el ausentismo laboral de causa m¨¦dica en una cohorte de trabajadores Influence of obesity on health care costs and absenteeism among employees of a mining company
%A Aldo Zarate
%A Marco Crestto
%A Alberto Maiz
%A Gonzalo Ravest
%J Revista m¨¦dica de Chile
%D 2009
%I Sociedad M¨¦dica de Santiago
%X Background: The health associated costs of obesity can represent between 2% and 9% of the total health costs of a given country. Aim: To assess the impact of obesity on health care costs and absenteeism in a cohort of mine workers. Patients and wethods: Prospective study of 4.673 men, employees of a mining company, aged 49 ¡À 7 years that were followed for 24 ¡À 11 months. Total health care cost and days of sick leave were recordedfor each individual. The association between obesity and these variables was analyzed by logistic regression adjusting for co-morbidities, age and other variables. Results: Mean annual health care costs for obese workers were 17% higher (p <0.001) compared to workers with normal weight and 58% higher (p <0.001) for workers with severe and morbid obesity. Mean annual days of sick leave increased by 25%o in the obese (p =0.002) and by 57%o in subjects with severe and morbid obesity (p <0.001). For health care costs the most significant predictors were: presence of diabetes mellitus (Odds ratio (OR) 6.21, 95%o confidence intervals (95% CI) 4.9 to 7.9), hypertension (OR 3-99; 95% CI3-4 to 4.6) and severe and morbid obesity (OR 2.55, 95%o CI 1.9 to 3-4). For absenteeism the most significant predictors were: presence of diabetes mellitus (OR 1.58, 95%> CI 1.2 to 2.0), hypertension (OR 1,34, 95%> CI 1.2 to 1.6) and severe and morbid obesity (OR 1.50, 95%o CI 1.1 to 2.1). Conclusions: Obesity increases significantly health care costs and absenteeism.
%K Comorbidity
%K Health expenditures
%K Obesity
%U http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-98872009000300003