Length of hospital stays among obese individuals.
OBJECTIVE
We examined lengths of hospital stay among individuals categorized according to weight status.


METHODS
We used data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Followup Survey to estimate length-of-stay differences.


RESULTS
Individuals with body mass indexes (BMIs) of 35 kg/m2 or above, those with BMIs of 30 to 34 kg/m2, and those with BMIs of 25 to 29 kg/m2 had crude length-of-stay rates greater than those of normal-weight individuals. Association between BMI and length of stay varied over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Obese individuals experience longer hospital stays than normal-weight individuals.
Zizza
Claire
C
Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599-7590, USA. claire_zizza@unc.edu
Herring
Amy H
AH
Stevens
June
J
Popkin
Barry M
BM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology