Body weight status and health-care expenditure among university retirees in Beijing, China

Objective: This study examined the impact of overweight and obesity on health-care expenditure among university retirees in Beijing, China. Methods: Annual health surveys of retirees were conducted at Tsinghua University during 2011–2016. Individual random-effect regressions were performed to estimate incremental health-care expenditures attributable to overweight/obesity, adjusting for various individual characteristics. Results: Compared to their normal-weight counterparts, obesity was associated with an increase in annual out-of-pocket expenditure on outpatient care by 27%, inpatient care 19% and medication 15%, and an increase in annual total out-of-pocket health-care expenditure by 33%. Overweight was associated with an increase in annual out-of-pocket expenditure on inpatient care by 13%, and an increase in annual total out-of-pocket health-care expenditure by 13%. The impact of obesity on health-care expenditure was statistically significant among men but not women. Conclusion: Overweight, and obesity in particular, was associated with substantial increases in out-of-pocket health-care expenditures among Chinese older adults.