Obesity Is Associated with an Increase in Pharmaceutical Expenses among University Employees

Table 2

Health care expenses of study population (means or % {standard errors}) by obesity status.

	Nonobese; (BMI < 30)	Obese; (BMI 30)	value; (obese = nonobese)	Morbidly obese; (BMI 35)	value; (morbidly obese = nonobese)
Number of observations	255	199		96
Total medical expenses
Monthly average costs	180.1 (17.8)	255.5 (28.4)	0.020	262.8 (35.8)	0.024
Percent of individuals with total costs >0	86.7% (0.021)	86.4% (0.024)	0.942	89.6% (0.031)	0.463
Monthly average costs if costs >0	208.7 (20.0)	308.1 (32.8)	0.007	296.7 (38.9)	0.030
Monthly average Total out-of-pocket medical costs	31.3 (2.80)	42.8 (4.34)	0.021	48.7 (7.11)	0.006
Pharmaceutical expenses
Monthly average costs	39.0 (7.24)	73.0 (12.4)	0.013	82.3 (18.9)	0.009
Percent of individuals with total costs >0	73.3% (0.028)	77.4% (0.030)	0.323	80.2% (0.041)	0.185
Monthly average costs if costs >0	58.4 (10.6)	100.9 (16.5)	0.026	105.3 (23.6)	0.037
Inpatient expenses
Monthly average costs	19.2 (7.63)	29.1 (7.70)	0.370	22.3 (7.21)	0.815
Percent of individuals with total costs >0	7.8% (0.017)	16.1% (0.026)	0.006	16.7% (0.038)	0.015
Monthly average costs if costs >0	272.3 (91.0)	214.3 (42.5)	0.525	164.7 (32.9)	0.341
Noninpatient expenses
Monthly average costs	121.9 (11.8)	153.3 (18.1)	0.132	158.2 (22.5)	0.127
Percent of individuals with total costs >0	83.5% (0.023)	80.9% (0.028)	0.468	85.4% (0.036)	0.668
Monthly average costs if costs >0	145.9 (13.5)	193.1 (21.8)	0.055	185.2 (25.2)	0.145
Obese related inpatient expenses
Monthly average costs	6.31 (6.22)	6.32 (3.06)	0.999	2.39 (2.17)	0.702
Percent of individuals with total costs >0	1.18% (0.007)	5.53% (0.016)	0.008	5.21% (0.023)	0.024
Monthly average costs if costs >0	536.7 (524.4)	114.3 (46.1)	0.128	45.9 (40.6)	0.252
Obese related noninpatient expenses
Monthly average costs	8.20 (2.32)	20.9 (4.50)	0.008	25.3 (8.16)	0.007
Percent of individuals with total costs >0	29.0% (0.028)	49.2% (0.036)	0.000	54.2% (0.051)	0.000
Monthly average costs if costs >0	29.8 (7.94)	42.8 (8.72)	0.291	46.6 (14.5)	0.280