Articles & Research Abstracts
Complete Reference
| Title | Effects of an incentive-based online physical activity intervention on health care costs |
| Available Online | http://www.joem.org/pt/re/joem/abstract.0004376... |
| Publication Date | November 2008 |
| Author | Chifung Lu, Alyssa B. Schultz, Stewart Sill, Ruth Petersen, Joyce M. Young, and Dee W. Edington |
| Source | Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine |
| Source Type | Journal Article |
| Summary | This study focuses on participation in an online physical activity program and its effects on health care costs, using health care claims data from 2003 to 2005. There was no significant difference between participants and non-participants in terms of their average annual health care costs. However, higher levels of participation were associated with smaller increases in costs, with the effect coming primarily from decreased inpatient hospital costs, heart disease costs, and diabetic costs. Such programs may be a way to provide incremental decreases in costs. |
| Reference | Lu, C., Schultz, A. B., Sill, S., Petersen, R., Young, J. M., & Edington, D. W.(2008). Effects of an incentive-based online physical activity intervention on health care costs. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 50, 1209-1215. |