Overweight And Obesity coupled to amplified Short-Term Disability
November 13, 2006
Workers with above-normal body weight have increased rates of short-term disability, reports a study in the November Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Led by Vincent C. Arena, Ph.D., of University of Pittsburgh,
the researchers analyzed data from health risk appraisals
of more than 19,000 employees of a large financial services
institution. The study sought to determine whether body
weight was a risk factor for short-term disability,
continuation for paid time off because of illness lasting
more than five days, excluding pregnancy. Information
on height and weight was used to calculate each subject's
body mass index (BMI),
a standard measure of the relative percentages of fat
and muscle mass.
Overall, 9.6 percent of employees had at least one episode of short-term disability during the three-year study period. Short-term disability rates increased from 7.3 percent for normal-weight workers (a BMI 18.5 to 24.9), to 8.8 percent for workers in the overweight category (a BMI 25 to 29.9), to 14.9 percent for those in the obese category (a BMI 30 and over).
The relationship between increased body weight and short-term disability remained significant after adjustment for other risk factors. In this adjusted analysis, overweight workers had a 26 percent increase in short-term disability rate; while obese workers had a 76 percent increase.
Women had a higher rate of short-term disability than men: 11.6 versus 3.9 percent. (Nearly three-fourths of the employees in the study were women.) Rates also tended to be higher for non-exempt employees, African-American and Hispanic employees, and workers with from the staff and lower-level officer ranks.
Body mass index in the overweight and obese range is
a true risk factor for lost work productivity related
to short-term disability, the results suggest. Dr. Arena
and colleagues believe that companies should consider
programs designed to promote healthier body weight among
their employees. They conclude, "Successful weight management
initiatives should reduce short-term disability expenditures,
improve worker productivity, and lessen the indirect
costs associated with overweight and obesity."
Source from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
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