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What is the Economic Cost of Overweight Children?

Author

Listed:
  • Eric Johnson

    (Kent State University)

  • Melayne Morgan McInnes

    (University of South Carolina)

  • Judith A. Shinogle

    (RTI International)

Abstract

Childhood overweight is now considered the most common health problem for children in the U.S. An important question is whether parents and policymakers will see rising medical expenditures for these children while they are still young. We estimate the overweight attributable fraction (OAF) of children’s medical expenditures, controlling for other factors that may cause expenditures to differ. We find that medical expenditures for overweight children are on average $12.09 higher per year (OAF = 0.5 percent), but confidence intervals are large and include zero. We also find little difference in the types of principal diagnoses per visit reported by weight status.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Johnson & Melayne Morgan McInnes & Judith A. Shinogle, 2006. "What is the Economic Cost of Overweight Children?," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 32(1), pages 171-187, Winter.
    • Handle: RePEc:eej:eeconj:v:32:y:2006:i:1:p:171-187
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    File URL: http://web.holycross.edu/RePEc/eej/Archive/Volume32/V32N1P171_187.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Coller, M. & Harrison, G.W. & McInnes, M.M., 2002. "Evaluating the tobacco settlement damage awards: Too much or not enough?," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(6), pages 984-989.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Odelia Rosin, 2008. "The Economic Causes Of Obesity: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 617-647, September.
    2. Davene Wright & Lisa Prosser, 2014. "The Impact of Overweight and Obesity on Pediatric Medical Expenditures," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 139-150, April.
    3. Christina Wenig, 2012. "The impact of BMI on direct costs in Children and Adolescents: empirical findings for the German Healthcare System based on the KiGGS-study," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 13(1), pages 39-50, February.
    4. Ms Fozia & Durdana Qaiser Gillani & Asifa Iftikhar, 2022. "Do Employed Females Provide Better Care to Their Children? The Case of Education and Health Care in Pakistan," Journal of Economic Impact, Science Impact Publishers, vol. 4(2), pages 134-141.
    5. Breitfelder, Ariane & Wenig, Christina M. & Wolfenstetter, Silke B. & Rzehak, Peter & Menn, Petra & John, Jürgen & Leidl, Reiner & Bauer, Carl Peter & Koletzko, Sibylle & Röder, Stefan & Herbarth, Olf, 2011. "Relative weight-related costs of healthcare use by children--Results from the two German birth cohorts, GINI-plus and LISA-plus," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 302-315, July.
    6. Cawley, John & Liu, Feng, 2012. "Maternal employment and childhood obesity: A search for mechanisms in time use data," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 352-364.
    7. Kinge, Jonas Minet & Morris, Stephan, 2015. "The impact of childhood obesity on health and health service use: an instrumental variable approach," HERO Online Working Paper Series 2015:2, University of Oslo, Health Economics Research Programme.
    8. John Cawley & Chad Meyerhoefer & David Newhouse, 2007. "The Correlation Of Youth Physical Activity With State Policies," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 25(4), pages 506-517, October.
    9. Lopez-Agudo, Luis Alejandro & Marcenaro-Gutierrez, Oscar David, 2021. "The relationship between overweight and academic performance, life satisfaction and school life," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    10. Black, Nicole & Hughes, Robert & Jones, Andrew M., 2018. "The health care costs of childhood obesity in Australia: An instrumental variables approach," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 1-13.
    11. Cawley, John, 2008. "Contingent valuation analysis of willingness to pay to reduce childhood obesity," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 281-292, July.
    12. Monheit, Alan C. & Vistnes, Jessica P. & Rogowski, Jeannette A., 2009. "Overweight in adolescents: Implications for health expenditures," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 55-63, March.

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