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. 2024 Mar 19;24(1):354.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-10840-4.

The economic burden of obesity in 4 south-eastern European countries associated with obesity-related co-morbidities

Kostas Athanasakis  1 , Cornelia Bala  2 , Alexander Kokkinos  3 , Gabor Simonyi  4 , Klaudia Hálová Karoliová  5 , Amaury Basse  6 , Miodrag Bogdanovic  7 , Malvin Kang  8 , Kaywei Low  8 , Adrien Gras  8
Affiliations

The economic burden of obesity in 4 south-eastern European countries associated with obesity-related co-morbidities

Kostas Athanasakis et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Objective: To provide an assessment of the cost burden of obesity across a spectrum of obesity-related comorbidities (ORCs) for four countries in South-Eastern Europe (SEE).

Methods: A micro-costing analysis from the public payer perspective was conducted to estimate direct healthcare costs associated with ten obesity-related comorbidities (ORCs) in Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, and Romania. A survey was administered to obtain healthcare resource use and unit cost data. Cost estimates were validated by local steering committees which comprised at least one public sector clinician and a panel of independent industry experts.

Results: Chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular diseases were the costliest ORCs across all 4 countries, where annual cost burden per ORC exceeded 1,500 USD per patient per year. In general, costs were driven by the tertiary care resources allocated to address treatment-related adverse events, disease complications, and associated inpatient procedures.

Conclusions: Our findings confirm that the high prevalence of obesity and its comorbidities result in substantial financial burden to all 4 SEE public payers. By quantifying the burden of obesity from a public healthcare perspective, our study aims to support policy efforts that promote health education and promotion in combating obesity in the region.

Keywords: Cost analysis; Economic burden; Financial costs; Obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

KA declares receiving honoraria from Novo Nordisk for attending advisory boards and presenting at lectures. CB declares receiving honoraria from Novo Nordisk for presenting at lectures. CB is a board member of the Romanian Society of Diabetes, Nutrition, Metabolic Diseases; the Vice President of the Romanian Society of Hypertension; Honorary President of the Association for Education in Diabetes and Obesity; and Vice President of the Romanian Association for the Study of Obesity. AK declares receiving honoraria from Novo Nordisk for consulting services, attending advisory boards, presenting at lectures and a research grant, for different studies and paid to the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. AK also declares receiving support from Novo Nordisk for attending meetings and/or travel. AK is the Chairman of the Metabolic Surgery Study Group; and the Vice President of the Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity.GS declares receiving honoraria from Novo Nordisk for attending advisory boards and presenting at lectures. GS also declares receiving support from Novo Nordisk for attending meetings and/or travel. GS is a board member of the Hungarian Society of Atherosclerosis; and the secretary general of the Hungarian Society of Obesity and Exercise Therapy. KHK declares receiving honoraria from Novo Nordisk for consulting services, attending advisory boards and presenting at lectures. KHK is a board member of the Czech Society of Diabetology and the Czech Society of Obesitology. AB and MB are employees of Novo Nordisk.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Graphical representation of estimated annual healthcare costs (USD; 2022) of ORCs in adults with obesity across the four countries
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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