A Group of IPB Researchers: The Loss of Productivity in Indonesia Due to Obesity
Obesity is a growing global health problem. Obesity is when someone is so overweight that it is a threat to their health. Overweight and obesity are advancing rapidly, that affects the increase in morbidity (morbidity) and its effect on the increase of mortality (mortality) in adults in the world. The epidemic of obesity has highlighted the extent of the risks associated with this disease. The risks arise from the increased mass of fat tissue, as well as the products produced by the increased number and size of fat cells in obese individuals. The increasingly high levels of overweight and obesity among the workforce are accompanied by a hidden cost burden due to losses in productivity. Obesity associated with morbidity and mortality can ultimately lead to decreased productivity causes of Absenteeism.
To review the extent of indirect cost of overweight and obesity, a group of researchers of the Department of Community Nutrition, of the Faculty of Human Ecology of Bogor Agricultural University (FEMA IPB), namely Drajat Martianto, Arnati Wulansari and Yayuk Farida Baliwati carried out the research project to evaluate it.
" This study was aimed to estimate economic loss due to obesity among adults in Indonesia. Estimating of economic loss due to obesity was measured by calculating cost of health care, cost of productivity loss due to premature death, and cost of productivity loss due to absenteeism, "Drajat said.
To estimate productivity loss associated with health conditions or lifestyle health risks, data were obtained from total number of population of each province and Indonesia (aged 18-64 years). The data used by this team were from Basic Health Research in 2013, they were the average cost incurred for inpatient and outpatient and number of days of treatment. The number of deaths due to comorbidities (cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, osteoarthritis, and stroke) were obtained from the Hospital Information System 2013.
Health care costs were estimated from the multiplication of the proportion of incidence of comorbidity in the obese population, the number of people who are obese, and the average cost of care. Average annual rates of absenteeism (days of work missed because of illness) and presenteeism (days at work but limited in performing job tasks because of health) for a group of individuals with health conditions or health risks were compared with a matched group of individuals without the same health conditions or risks. Productivity loss related to absenteeism was measured using morbidity, the level of labour participation.
The research revealed that health care costs were estimated about Rp 56,487 billion per year. Cost of productivity losses due to premature death was estimated about Rp 1,597 billion/year. Cost of productivity losses due to absenteeism estimated was Rp 20,394 billion/year. The total cost of obesity was then estimated to be Rp 78,478 billion/year, equivalent to 0.9 percent of Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product for 2013.
"The evidence predominantly confirms substantial short-term and long-term indirect costs of overweight and obesity in the absence of effective customised prevention programmes and thus demonstrates the extent of the burden of obesity beyond the healthcare sector. Thus, health promotion efforts to reduce the negative consequences of obesity is really required. Therefore, it is important for the government to make early promotional policies, including by incorporating nutritional education in the school curriculum, and the provision of appropriate facilities that support a healthy lifestyle by regulating the diet using the principles of balanced nutrition and physical activity enough, "he said. (Wied)
