Physical activity and health services utilization and costs among U.S. adults

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between physical activity and health services utilization and costs among adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. Data came from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household component from 2007 through 2011 (n=117,361). Regular physical activity was defined as spending half an hour or more in moderate or vigorous physical activity at least three times a week. The following categories of self-reported health services utilization and costs were examined: preventive, office-based, outpatient, inpatient, emergency department, home health, and prescription medicines. The association of physical activity and health services utilization and costs was estimated using two-part models. Adults who engaged in regular physical activity were more likely to use preventive (ORs ranged from 1.06 to 1.34, p<0.05) and office-based services (OR=1.05, 95% CI=1.01-1.10, p<0.05). Combining results from both parts of the two-part models, physically active adults incurred significantly lower utilization of inpatient (0.09 vs 0.12 visit per person), emergency room (0.18 vs 0.19 visit per person), home health care (1.21 vs 1.92 visit per person), and prescription medicines (12.66 vs 13.75 number of prescriptions per person) and spent $27 less per capita expenditures for office-based visits, $351 less for inpatient visits, and $52 less for home health care visits. Promoting regular physical activity may reduce health care costs through decreasing demand for secondary and tertiary care services.