Obesity worsens skilled nursing facility outcomes after hip Fx

(HealthDay)—Obesity is associated with worse outcomes in skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents receiving post-acute care for hip fracture, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Cyrus M. Kosar, from Brown University in Providence, R.I., and colleagues examined the effect of obesity using the body mass index (BMI; ≥30.0 kg/m²) on outcomes of 586,683 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries admitted to a SNF for hip fracture post-acute care. Residents were classified by obesity status: not obese (BMI 18.5 to 29.9 kg/m²), mild obesity (BMI 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m²), moderate obesity (BMI 35.0 to 39.9 kg/m²), and severe obesity (BMI ≥40.0 kg/m²).

The researchers found that residents with mild (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.16), moderate (aRR, 1.27), and severe (aRR,1.67) obesity were more likely to be readmitted within 30 days, compared to those who were not obese. The average difference in length of stay was shorter between residents without obesity and those with mild obesity (2.6 days), moderate obesity (4.2 days), and severe obesity (7.0 days). Discharge was less likely successful for residents with obesity and they were more likely to become long-stay nursing home residents.

“Obesity may be an overlooked risk adjuster in quality-of-care measures and in payment reforms related to PAC for individuals with hip fracture,” the authors write.

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