Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This article presents the first study of the economic consequences of obesity and overweight in the Canadian province of Quebec. The article examines three types of direct costs: hospitalizations, medical visits and drug consumption; and one type of indirect cost: productivity loss due to disability.
METHODS: The National Population Health Survey, conducted in all Canadian provinces by Statistics Canada between 1994 and 2011, provides self-reported longitudinal data for body mass index and the frequency of health care utilization and disability.
RESULTS: When we compared obese adults in Quebec to those with a normal weight at the beginning of the follow-up period, we observed that the former had significantly more frequent visits to the physician, more frequent hospital stays and higher consumption of drugs between 1994 and 2011. We estimated the annual cost of the excess health care utilization and excess disability at more than CAD $2.9 billion in 2011.
CONCLUSION: The results confirm that, similar to what had been found elsewhere in Canada and abroad, there are important economic consequences associated with overweight and obesity in Quebec.
Key Words: Obesity, economic burden, Quebec
Résumé
OBJECTIFS: Cet article présente les résultats de la première étude sur les conséquences économiques de l’obésité et de l’embonpoint au Québec. Il examine trois types de coûts directs (hospitalisation, consultations médicales et consommation de médicaments) et un type de coût indirect (les pertes de productivité liées à l’invalidité).
MÉTHODES: L’Enquête nationale sur la santé de la population, qui a été menée par Statistiques Canada dans toute les provinces canadiennes entre 1 994 et 2011, offre des données auto-rapportées longitudinales sur l’indice de masse corporelle, la fréquence d’utilisation de services de santé et l’invalidité.
RÉSULTATS: Lorsqu’on compare les adultes québécois obèses avec ceux de poids normal au début de la période de suivi, nous observons que ceux-là ont consulté plus fréquemment le médecin, ont eu de plus nombreuses nuits d’hospitalisations et ont consommé plus de médicaments entre 1994 et 2011. Nous estimons le coût annuel de l’excédent d’utilisation de service de santé et d’invalidité à plus de CAD $2,9 milliards en 2011.
CONCLUSION: Les résultats confirment, comme l’indiquent les études ailleurs au Canada et à l’étranger, que l’obésité et l’embonpoint sont associés à d’importantes conséquences économiques.
Mots Clés: obésité, fardeau économique, Québec
Footnotes
Acknowledgements: This study has received financial support from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec. The analysis was conducted thanks to access to the Québec Interuniversity Centre for Social Statistics which is part of the Canadian Research Data Centre Network. The services and activities provided by the QICSS are made possible by the financial or in-kind support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Statistics Canada, the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture, and the Québec universities. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors. We wish to thank Real Morin and Danielle Saint-Laurent for their contribution to this project.
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
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