Obesity Related Hospital Admissions in Ireland
Author Information
Author(s): Akke Vellinga, Diarmuid O'Donovan, Davida De La Harpe
Primary Institution: National University Ireland, Galway
Hypothesis
What are the length of stay and associated costs for obesity-related hospital admissions in Ireland?
Conclusion
The annual increase in the proportion of hospital discharges related to obesity is alarming and is associated with significant economic costs.
Supporting Evidence
- The discharge frequency of obesity-related conditions increased from 1.14 in 1997 to 1.49 in 2004 for adults.
- The annual hospital cost for obesity-related admissions rose from 4.4 million Euros in 1997 to 13.3 million Euros in 2004.
- The relative length of stay for obesity-related conditions increased significantly over the study period.
Takeaway
More and more people are going to the hospital because of obesity, and it's costing a lot of money. We need to help kids stay healthy early on.
Methodology
A cost of illness study was conducted using discharge data from all acute hospitals in Ireland from 1997 to 2004 for obesity-related diagnoses.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of underreporting obesity as a secondary diagnosis, which may lead to conservative estimates of its impact.
Limitations
The study relies on hospital discharge data, which may underreport obesity due to coding practices and lack of personal identifiers.
Participant Demographics
Data included children aged 6-18 and adults, with a focus on obesity-related hospital admissions.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.000
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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