%0 Journal Article
%T Hospital Charges for Childhood Obesity
%A Achamyeleh Gebremariam
%A MS
%A Matthew M. Davis
%A MD
%A MAPP
%A Sarah J. Clark
%A MPH
%A Susan J. Woolford
%A MD
%A MPH
%J Journal of Hospital Medicine
%D 2009
%R 10.1002/jhm.388
%X AbstractOBJECTIVE:To use hospitalization data from 2003 to determine whether prior findings, showing higher charges and longer lengths©\of©\stay (LOSs) for children with obesity versus those without, were stable over time and whether the magnitude of differences was consistent over a 4©\year period.METHODS:Using the 2000 and 2003 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Kids Inpatient Database (KID), we examined discharges for the top 4 nonpregnancy©\related principal discharge diagnoses for children aged 2©\18 years (asthma, pneumonia, affective disorders, and appendicitis), classified as with or without obesity based on the presence of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD©\9©\CM) code 278.0x as a secondary diagnosis. We compared mean charges for hospitalizations with obesity listed as secondary diagnosis versus those without. Results are presented in 2003 dollars.RESULTS:Among children's discharges in 2000 and 2003, 1.1% and 1.6%, respectively, listed obesity as a secondary diagnosis. In 2003, for all 4 diagnoses, adjusted mean hospital charges were statistically significantly higher and adjusted mean LOS was statistically significantly longer for discharges with obesity as a secondary diagnosis versus those without. Additionally, the magnitude of the differences for both charges and LOS was generally somewhat greater in 2003 than in 2000 (asthma 9%, pneumonia 17%, affective disorders 121%, and appendicitis 3%) although it did not achieve statistical significance (P > 0.05).CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest a widening gap of incremental charges and LOS associated with obesity as a comorbidity. This implies a financial imperative for further research to evaluate factors that contribute to greater resource utilization among obese children. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2009;4:149¨C156. £¿ 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine
%U https://www.journalofhospitalmedicine.com/jhospmed/article/127190/hospital-charges-childhood-obesity