Body Mass Index and Employment-Based Health Insurance
Author Information
Author(s): Ronald L Fong, Peter Franks
Primary Institution: University of California, Davis
Hypothesis
Obese workers are less likely than normal weight workers to obtain employment that includes health insurance.
Conclusion
Obese workers are more likely to have employment-based health insurance than their normal weight counterparts.
Supporting Evidence
- Obese workers had an adjusted probability of 0.62 of being employed in jobs with EBHI.
- Normal weight workers had an adjusted probability of 0.57 of being employed in jobs with EBHI.
- Overweight workers had an adjusted probability of 0.61 of being employed in jobs with EBHI, but this was not statistically significant.
Takeaway
If you're heavier, you might actually be more likely to get a job that offers health insurance.
Methodology
Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between BMI and the likelihood of holding jobs with employment-based health insurance.
Potential Biases
Self-reported data may introduce bias in BMI classification.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional, relies on self-reported height and weight, and lacks data on employment duration.
Participant Demographics
Participants included employed adults with varying BMI classifications, with significant representation of Hispanic and African American individuals.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.005
Confidence Interval
(0.60, 0.65)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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