Impact of physical activity on medical expenditures among adults downhearted and blue

OBJECTIVE: To examine inactivity-associated medical expenditures in adults, controlling for frequency of feeling downhearted/blue. METHODS: Using the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (N=12,250), expenditures were analyzed by comparison and multivariate models. Expenditures were updated to 2003 dollars. RESULTS: Medical expenditure was 354 dollars (t=3.80, P<0.01) lower for active than inactive persons: 6.1% of the expenditure (133 dollars in 1987, 429 dollars in 2003) was inactivity associated. The total inactivity-associated expenditure was near 12 billion dollars in 1987 (38 billion dollars in 2003). CONCLUSIONS: Medical expenditure increased with frequency of feeling downhearted/blue and was higher for inactive than active people.