Impact of Obesity, Smoking, and Alcohol on Disability Years
Author Information
Author(s): Klijs Bart, Mackenbach Johan P, Kunst Anton E
Primary Institution: Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre
Hypothesis
Which lifestyle factor—BMI, smoking, or alcohol consumption—has the largest impact on years lived with disability?
Conclusion
Obesity is most strongly associated with an increased risk of spending many years of life with disability compared to smoking and drinking alcohol.
Supporting Evidence
- Obese individuals could expect to live 5.9 years with disability, compared to 3.8 years for smokers and 3.1 years for drinkers.
- Life expectancy at age 55 differed by 1.4 years among BMI groups, 4.0 years by smoking status, and 3.0 years by alcohol consumption.
- Using time to death in the Sullivan method led to lower estimates of years lived with disability.
Takeaway
Being obese means you might spend more years having trouble doing things than if you smoke or drink alcohol.
Methodology
Data from the Dutch Permanent Survey of the Living Situation (POLS) was analyzed using logistic regression and the Sullivan life table method.
Potential Biases
Self-reported measures of disability and BMI may introduce reporting bias.
Limitations
The study did not include the institutionalized population, which may affect the generalizability of the results.
Participant Demographics
Participants were elderly subjects aged 55 and older from the Dutch population.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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