The health care cost implications of overweight and obesity during childhood.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate whether childhood overweight at age 4-5 increases publicly funded health care costs during childhood, and to explore the role of timing and duration of overweight on health costs.

Data sources

The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (2004-2008) and linked records from Medicare, Australia's public health insurance provider (2004-2009).

Study design

The influence of overweight status on non-hospital Medicare costs incurred by children over a 5-year period was estimated using two-part models and one-part generalized linear models (GLM). All models controlled for demographic, socioeconomic, and parental characteristics.

Principal findings

Being overweight at age 4-5 is associated with significantly higher pharmaceutical and medical ca

SUBMITTER: Au N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3419882 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature