ISBN 9783843902137

978-3-8439-0213-7, Reihe Wirtschaftswissenschaften

Christina M. Wenig
Impact of Obesity on Healthcare Utilisation and Costs

156 Seiten, Dissertation Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2011), Hardcover, A5

Zusammenfassung / Abstract

Obesity is a major public health concern, with a huge burden of directly and indirectly related diseases as well as economic implications for society. This thesis aims to contribute to current knowledge concerning the impact of obesity on utilisation of healthcare services and associated costs, particularly in Germany, and concerning the methodological development of cost-of-illness studies. The study objectives are: (1) to provide a systematic review of the international literature on the impact of childhood obesity on healthcare costs, analysing the methodologies used and the key findings; (2) to assess the effect of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Germany on the utilisation and costs of physician visits, non-physician therapists, hospitals and (3) pharmaceuticals; and (4) to analyse the impact of body mass index (BMI) and BMI change on future drug use and expenditures in German adults. Despite their limitations, these analyses add to existing literature providing important new information on the relevance of obesity as a health problem with implications for priority setting in research, policy and management.