Inadequate Physical Activity and Health Care Expenditures in the United States

• Published in: Progress in cardiovascular diseases Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 315 - 323
• Main Authors: Carlson, Susan A, Fulton, Janet E, Pratt, Michael, Yang, Zhou, Adams, E. Kathleen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; BMI; Body Mass Index; Capital Expenditures - statistics & numerical data; Cardiovascular; Demography; Exercise; Female; Guidelines as Topic; Health care; Health Care Surveys; Health expenditures; Humans; Male; Medical Expenditure Panel Survey; MEPS; Middle Aged; Motor Activity; National Health Interview Survey; NHIS; Physical activity; Public Health - economics; Public Health - methods; Public Health - statistics & numerical data; Social Validity, Research; Socioeconomic Factors; U.S; United States; United States; Body Mass Index; NHIS; Health care; Health expenditures; Exercise; Physical activity; United States; Medical Expenditure Panel Survey; U.S; National Health Interview Survey; BMI; MEPS
• ISSN: 0033-0620; 1532-8643; 1873-1740
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pcad.2014.08.002

Abstract This study estimates the percentage of health care expenditures in the non-institutionalized United States (U.S.) adult population associated with levels of physical activity inadequate to meet current guidelines. Leisure-time physical activity data from the National Health Interview Survey (2004–2010) were merged with health care expenditure data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2006–2011). Health care expenditures for inactive (i.e., no physical activity) and insufficiently active adults (i.e., some physical activity but not enough to meet guidelines) were compared with active adults (i.e., ≥ 150 minutes/week moderate-intensity equivalent activity) using an econometric model. Overall, 11.1% (95% CI: 7.3, 14.9) of aggregate health care expenditures were associated with inadequate physical activity (i.e., inactive and insufficiently active levels). When adults with any reported difficulty walking due to a health problem were excluded, 8.7% (95% CI: 5.2, 12.3) of aggregate health care expenditures were associated with inadequate physical activity. Increasing adults’ physical activity to meet guidelines may reduce U.S. health care expenditures.