Journal Article

DKFZ-2024-01001

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Costs associated with insufficient physical activity in Germany: cross-sectional results from the baseline examination of the German national cohort (NAKO).

Gottschalk, S. ; König, H.-H. ; Weber, A. ; Leitzmann, M. F. ; Stein, M. J. ; Peters, A. ; Flexeder, C. ; Krist, L. ; Willich, S. N. ; Nimptsch, K. ; Pischon, T. ; Gastell, S. ; Steindorf, K.DKFZ* ; Herbolsheimer, F.DKFZ* ; Ebert, N. ; Michels, K. B. ; Dorrn, A. ; Harth, V. ; Obi, N. ; Karch, A. ; Teismann, H. ; Völzke, H. ; Meinke-Franze, C. ; Klimeck, L.DKFZ* ; Seum, T.DKFZ* ; Dams, J.

2025
Springer Heidelberg

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1007/s10198-024-01697-9

Abstract: Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases posing a significant economic burden to healthcare systems and societies. The study aimed to examine the differences in healthcare and indirect costs between sufficient and insufficient PA and the cost differences between PA intensity groups.The cross-sectional analysis was based on data from 157,648 participants in the baseline examination of the German National Cohort (NAKO) study. Healthcare and indirect costs were calculated based on self-reported information on health-related resource use and productivity losses. PA in the domains leisure, transport, and work was assessed by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and categorized into sufficient/insufficient and intensity levels (very low/low/medium/high) based on PA recommendations of the World Health Organization. Two-part models adjusted for relevant covariates were used to estimate mean costs for PA groups.Insufficiently active people had higher average annual healthcare costs (Δ €188, 95% CI [64, 311]) and healthcare plus indirect costs (Δ €482, 95% CI [262, 702]) compared to sufficiently active people. The difference was especially evident in the population aged 60 + years and when considering only leisure PA. An inverse association was observed between leisure PA and costs, whereas a direct association was found between PA at work and costs. Adjusting for the number of comorbidities reduced the differences between activity groups, but the trend persisted. The association between PA and costs differed in direction between PA domains. Future research may provide further insight into the temporal relationship between PA and costs.

Keyword(s): Cohort study ; Exercise ; Health expenditure ; Healthcare costs ; Physical activity

Note: 2025 Feb;26(1):117-128

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Bewegung, Präventionsforschung und Krebs (C110)
2. C070 Klinische Epidemiologie und Alternf. (C070)

Research Program(s):

1. 313 - Krebsrisikofaktoren und Prävention (POF4-313) (POF4-313)

Appears in the scientific report 2024

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Database coverage:
; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Social and Behavioral Sciences ; DEAL Springer ; DEAL Springer ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; National-Konsortium ; SCOPUS ; Social Sciences Citation Index

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