TABLE 4.

Length of Stay and Hospital Costs of Discharges With an Obesity Diagnosis Among Youths Aged 6 to 17 Years During 1979–1981 and 1997–1999

Items1979–19811997–1999
Principal DiagnosisSecondary DiagnosisTotalPrincipal DiagnosisSecondary DiagnosisTotal
Number of discharges656722 04428 611161842 59744 215
Length of stay (d/discharge)6.355.015.3213.466.767.00
Total days of care (×103 d)417.00110.44152.2121.78287.96309.51
3-y hospital cost* ($million)10.3027.5037.9023.22306.96329.93 Annual hospital cost ($ million)3.439.1712.607.74102.32110.09
Year 2001 value of annual hospital cost ($million)9.5625.5535.108.96118.45127.44 • * Based on the average cost per day of$1066 during 1997–1999, from US Bureau of Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2000, and based on the average cost per day of \$249 during 1979–1981, from US Bureau of Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1990.

• Using 5% inflation rate. For the period of 1997–1999, dollar value inflated from 1998 to 2001, for the period of 1979–1981, dollar value inflated from 1980 to 2001.