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The economic burden of overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia

Author

Listed:
  • Jesse D Malkin
  • Drishti Baid
  • Reem F Alsukait
  • Taghred Alghaith
  • Mohammed Alluhidan
  • Hana Alabdulkarim
  • Abdulaziz Altowaijri
  • Ziyad S Almalki
  • Christopher H Herbst
  • Eric Andrew Finkelstein
  • Sameh El-Saharty
  • Nahar Alazemi

Abstract

Context: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia has been rising. Although the health burden of excess weight is well established, little is known about the economic burden. Aims: To assess the economic burden—both direct medical costs and the value of absenteeism and presenteeism—resulting from overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia. Settings and design: The cost of overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia was estimated from a societal perspective using an epidemiologic approach. Methods and materials: Data were obtained from previously published studies and secondary databases. Statistical analysis used: Overweight/obesity-attributable costs were calculated for six major noncommunicable diseases; sensitivity analyses were conducted for key model parameters. Results: The impact of overweight and obesity for these diseases is found to directly cost a total of $3.8 billion, equal to 4.3 percent of total health expenditures in Saudi Arabia in 2019. Estimated overweight and obesity–attributable absenteeism and presenteeism costs a total of $15.5 billion, equal to 0.9 percent of GDP in 2019. Conclusions: Even when limited to six diseases and a subset of total indirect costs, results indicate that overweight and obesity are a significant economic burden in Saudi Arabia. Future studies should identify strategies to reduce the health and economic burden resulting from excess weight in Saudi Arabia.

Suggested Citation

  • Jesse D Malkin & Drishti Baid & Reem F Alsukait & Taghred Alghaith & Mohammed Alluhidan & Hana Alabdulkarim & Abdulaziz Altowaijri & Ziyad S Almalki & Christopher H Herbst & Eric Andrew Finkelstein & , 2022. "The economic burden of overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-8, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0264993
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264993
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Alsukait, Reem & Wilde, Parke & Bleich, Sara N. & Singh, Gitanjali & Folta, Sara C., 2020. "Evaluating Saudi Arabia’s 50% carbonated drink excise tax: Changes in prices and volume sales," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    5. Thomas Lehnert & Pawel Streltchenia & Alexander Konnopka & Steffi Riedel-Heller & Hans-Helmut König, 2015. "Health burden and costs of obesity and overweight in Germany: an update," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 16(9), pages 957-967, December.
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