Table 3. Effects of BMI on “Total Outpatient and Inpatient” health expenditure with respect to normo-weight individuals.
| Indirect | Direct | Overall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marginal effect | % difference from the mean | Marginal effect | % difference from the mean | Marginal effect | % difference from the mean | |
| Full sample (N=2705211), average estimated expenditure = 1092 euro | ||||||
| Underweight | −15.92*** | −1% | 154.0*** | 14% | 138.1*** | 13% |
| Overweight | 104.0*** | 10% | −66.52*** | −6% | 37.44*** | 3% |
| Obesity | 237.3*** | 22% | −43.89*** | −4% | 193.4*** | 18% |
| Severe obesity | 351.2*** | 32% | 95.02*** | 9% | 446.2*** | 41% |
| Very severe obesity | 417.1*** | 38% | 133.0*** | 12% | 550.1*** | 50% |
| 18-44 (N=934147), average estimated expenditure = 399 euro | ||||||
| Underweight | −10.23*** | −3% | 72.71*** | 18% | 62.49*** | 16% |
| Overweight | 30.42*** | 8% | −8.392*** | −2% | 22.03*** | 6% |
| Obesity | 66.72*** | 17% | 5.606** | 1% | 72.32*** | 18% |
| Severe obesity | 108.8*** | 27% | 47.43*** | 12% | 156.3*** | 39% |
| Very severe obesity | 157.3*** | 39% | 144.0*** | 36% | 301.3*** | 75% |
| 45-64 (N=990831), average estimated expenditure = 867 euro | ||||||
| Underweight | −54.25*** | −6% | 180.0*** | 21% | 125.7*** | 14% |
| Overweight | 128.2*** | 15% | −45.25*** | −5% | 82.92*** | 10% |
| Obesity | 257.0*** | 30% | −22.30*** | −3% | 234.7*** | 27% |
| Severe obesity | 370.1*** | 43% | 82.05*** | 9% | 452.2*** | 52% |
| Very severe obesity | 436.8*** | 50% | 156.2*** | 18% | 593.0*** | 68% |
| 65+ (N=780233), average estimated expenditure = 2193 euro | ||||||
| Underweight | −235.1*** | −11% | 468.4*** | 21% | 233.4*** | 11% |
| Overweight | 202.2*** | 9% | −127.3*** | −6% | 74.87*** | 3% |
| Obesity | 381.9*** | 17% | −79.79*** | −4% | 302.1*** | 14% |
| Severe obesity | 504.0*** | 23% | 215.2*** | 10% | 719.3*** | 33% |
| Very severe obesity | 524.6*** | 24% | 265.5*** | 12% | 790.1*** | 36% |
p<0.01
p<0.05
p<0.1, each p value refers to a t test for equality of means for each category with respect to normal weight category
- Average estimated expenditure for each sample was obtained as the predicted expenditure from the health expenditure equation, calculated for the normal-weight individuals, and at means of all other regressors.
- Indirect marginal effects for each BMI category were computed as the sum of nonlinear combinations of parameters estimated within each pathology-specific equation with the respective pathology-specific parameter estimated within the health expenditure equation.
- Direct marginal effects for each BMI category were obtained as relative parameter estimates from the health expenditure equation.
- Overall marginal effects for each BMI category was computed as the sum of the respective direct and indirect marginal effects.