[Influence of obesity on health care costs and absenteeism among employees of a mining company].
BACKGROUND
The health associated costs of obesity can represent between 2% and 9% of the total health costs of a given country.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of obesity on health care costs and absenteeism in a cohort of mine workers.


METHODS
Prospective study of 4.673 men, employees of a mining company, aged 49 +/- 7 years that were followed for 24 +/- 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.
Zarate
Aldo
A
Departamento de Nutrición, Diabetes y Metabolismo, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. zarate.aldo@gmail.com
Crestto
Marco
M
Maiz
Alberto
A
Ravest
Gonzalo
G
Pino
María Inés
MI
Valdivia
Gonzalo
G
Moreno
Manuel
M
Villarroel
Luis
L
D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000191:economics; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies