Direct and indirect costs among patients with binge-eating disorder in the United States

ObjectiveTo quantify the economic burden of binge-eating disorder (BED) in terms of work productivity loss, healthcare resource utilization, and healthcare costs. MethodsRespondents of the US National Health and Wellness Survey 2013 were invited to participate in a follow-up internet survey to identify adults with BED using DSM-5 criteria. Work productivity loss, healthcare resource utilization, and direct and indirect costs were assessed for BED respondents and matched non-BED respondents using generalized linear models or two-part models as appropriate. ResultsA total of 1,720 people were included in our analysis (N=344 with BED; N= 1,376 without BED). BED respondents had higher levels of activity impairment than non-BED respondents (41.29% vs. 23.18%, p<.001). Employed BED respondents (N=178) had a greater level of work impairment than employed non-BED respondents (N=686) (36.83% vs. 14.41%, p=.009). Higher healthcare resource utilization in the past 6 months among BED respondents was reported than matched non-BED respondents: numbers of surgeries (0.23 vs. 0.13, p=.021), ER visits (0.26 vs. 0.15, p=.016), and physician visits (6.09 vs. 4.56, p=.002). BED respondents reported higher total direct costs than matched non-BED respondents ($20,194 vs. $14,465, p=.005). The indirect costs among employed BED respondents were also higher than those without BED ($19,327 vs. $9,032, p<.001). DiscussionIndividuals with BED reported significantly greater economic burden with respect to work productivity loss, level of healthcare resource utilization, and costs compared to non-BED respondents. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:523-532)