Shinde Shraddha, Tran Anh Thu, Jerry Michelle, Lee Clare J
Eli Lilly and Company Indianapolis Indiana USA.
Merative Ann Arbor Michigan USA.
Obes Sci Pract. 2024 Jul 8;10(4):e775. doi: 10.1002/osp4.775. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Rising obesity rates in the workforce are accompanied by a hidden cost burden to employers due to work productivity loss. Understanding the impact of obesity on work productivity is essential for employers to provide tailored weight loss interventions in the workplace.
To measure work loss and associated productivity costs among employees with overweight/obesity compared with employees with normal weight.
This retrospective cohort study used the Merative MarketScan® Health and Productivity Management Database to identify adult employees with ≥1 diagnosis code reporting a body mass index (BMI) between 1/1/2015-12/31/2019. Based on the earliest BMI, employees were assigned to normal weight (BMI 19-24.9), overweight (BMI 25-29.9), obesity class 1 (BMI 30-34.9), obesity class 2 (BMI 35-39.9), and obesity class 3 (BMI ≥40) cohorts. Among employees with data for each work loss category (absenteeism, short-term disability [STD], long-term disability [LTD], worker's compensation [WC]) during the 12-month follow-up, the percentage of employees with work loss, number of hours/days lost, and associated productivity costs were reported.
719,482 employees (normal weight: 106,631, overweight: 230,637, obesity class 1: 185,850, obesity class 2: 101,909, obesity class 3: 94,455) were included. Outcomes increased with each higher BMI category for the mean number of absence hours ([in order of BMI category]: 262, 273, 285, 290, 304) and percentage of employees with a claim (STD: 6.8%, 7.6%, 9.7%, 11.7%, 17.0%; LTD: 0.4%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.8%; WC: 2.7%, 2.8%, 3.4%, 3.6%, 3.5%). Estimated costs to the employer associated with absenteeism, STD, LTD, and WC were $1,036, $611, $38, and $95 higher per year (respectively) in the obesity class 3 cohort relative to the normal weight cohort.
This real-world analysis demonstrated that employees with overweight/obesity had higher loss of work productivity compared with employees with normal weight. Further studies are warranted to determine the long-term impacts on work productivity loss if overweight and obesity are left untreated.
劳动力中肥胖率的上升伴随着雇主因工作效率损失而承担的隐性成本负担。了解肥胖对工作效率的影响对于雇主在工作场所提供量身定制的减肥干预措施至关重要。
测量超重/肥胖员工与正常体重员工相比的工作损失及相关的生产力成本。
这项回顾性队列研究使用了默克多市场扫描健康与生产力管理数据库，以识别在2015年1月1日至2019年12月31日期间有≥1个诊断代码报告体重指数（BMI）的成年员工。根据最早的BMI，员工被分配到正常体重（BMI 19 - 24.9）、超重（BMI 25 - 29.9）、1级肥胖（BMI 30 - 34.9）、2级肥胖（BMI 35 - 39.9）和3级肥胖（BMI≥40）队列。在12个月随访期间有每个工作损失类别（旷工、短期残疾[STD]、长期残疾[LTD]、工伤赔偿[WC]）数据的员工中，报告了有工作损失的员工百分比、损失的小时数/天数以及相关的生产力成本。
纳入了719,482名员工（正常体重：106,631名，超重：230,637名，1级肥胖：185,850名，2级肥胖：101,909名，3级肥胖：94,455名）。随着BMI类别升高，平均缺勤小时数（按BMI类别顺序）以及有索赔的员工百分比的结果均增加（平均缺勤小时数：262、273、285、290、304；STD索赔：6.8%、7.6%、9.7%、11.7%、17.0%；LTD索赔：0.4%、0.4%、0.5%、0.6%、0.8%；WC索赔：2.7%、2.8%、3.4%、3.6%、3.5%）。与正常体重队列相比，3级肥胖队列中雇主因旷工、STD、LTD和WC每年产生的估计成本分别高出1,036美元、611美元、38美元和95美元。
这项实际分析表明，超重/肥胖员工与正常体重员工相比，工作效率损失更高。如果超重和肥胖得不到治疗，对工作效率损失的长期影响如何，还有待进一步研究确定。
