Discrepancy in Hospitalization Charges and Length of Stay between Children with and without Obesity
Open Access
- Author:
- Chiang, Timothy
- Area of Honors:
- Health Policy and Administration
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Marianne Messersmith Hillemeier, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Rhonda Be Lue, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Childhood Obesity
Hospitalization Charges
Length of Stay - Abstract:
- Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States, affecting about 17% of children and adolescents (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Fleagal, 2012). This study’s purpose is to examine whether previously observed associations of childhood obesity with higher hospitalization charges as well as longer length of stay (LOS) in the hospital have changed in recent years. The 2009 Kids’ Inpatient Database is analyzed. T-tests are used to examine differences in hospitalization charges and LOS of obese and non-obese children, and regression analyses are used to estimate relationships controlling for confounding variables. As in previous research, analyses of 2009 data showed higher hospitalization charges and longer LOS for obese children compared to their non-obese counterparts with similar diagnoses. In three of the four primary diagnoses examined, the gap between obese and non-obese children’s hospitalization charges widened; similarly, in three of the four primary diagnoses examined, the gap in LOS widened. The results of this study indicate that the impacts of obesity on health care use and expenses remain significant and have increased over time. Policymakers should evaluate the results of government policies and either make appropriate modifications or design new ones to effectively prevent the childhood obesity epidemic from becoming more severe and further impacting children’s health and health care use.