Burden of illness due to back pain
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, direct costs, and indirect costs of back pain. A retrospective analysis was conducted of the 1996 portion of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Data in the MEPS were collected from a representative sample of 22,601 respondents and included demographics, health status and conditions, use of and payments for medical care, and health insurance and employment information. Back pain was defined using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM) codes determined by an expert panel as indicative of back pain. Prevalence of aggregate or total, work related, and missed workdays back pain were calculated by frequency of occurrence of back pain ICD-9-CM codes. Direct costs of back pain were calculated based on patient and third-party payments made for medical care and included prescriptions medications, inpatient care, emergency room visits, outpatient care, office-based provider visits, home health care. Indirect costs of missed workdays back pain were calculated using the human capital method. Sample estimates were weighted and projected to the population. The prevalence of aggregate back pain was 8.74 percent (95% C.L. = 8.24 to 9.24), the prevalence of work-related back pain was 1.52 percent (95% C.L. = 1.31 to 1.72), and the prevalence of missed workdays back pain was 1.76 percent (95% C.L. = 1.54 to 1.98). Back pain was more prevalent among individuals with a high school level of education, among Caucasian individuals, among individuals whose incomes were greater than $12,000, and among individuals working in heavy industry and manual labor occupations. Direct costs of back pain were $14,701,417,650 with higher proportions of cost incurred for office-based medical provider, inpatient, and outpatient care. Indirect costs of back pain were $18,533,583,620 indicating considerable losses in productivity in the workforce as a result of back pain. With back pain affecting nearly 9 percent of the population and costing greater than $33 billion annually, it continues to be a major health care problem in the United States and necessitates greater understanding of its occurrence and costs.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Thomas, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Pharmaceuticals|Health care|Public health
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