The Impact of Severe Obesity on Post-Acute Rehabilitation Efficiency, Length of Stay, and Hospital Costs

Table 1

Baseline characteristics.

Variable	Severe obesity (𝑛=42)	Controls (𝑁=42)	𝑃 value
Sex, male, no (%)*	32 (76)	32 (76)	—
Age, yr, mean (SD)	53 (15)	59 (14)	0.06
Weight, kg, mean (SD)	158.8 (25.3)	69.3 (12.4)	<0.0001
Height, cm, mean (SD)	177.6 (10.2)	173.1 (10.3)	0.05
Body mass index, kg/m^2, mean (SD)	50.9 (8.3)	23.0 (3.0)	<0.0001
Reason for requiring rehabilitation, no (%)*
Orthopaedic surgery	26 (62)	26 (62)	—
Acute medical illness	8 (19)	8 (19)	—
Stroke, brain or spinal cord injury	8 (19)	8 (19)	—
Married or common law	18 (43)	19 (45)	0.83
Single or widow	24 (57)	23 (55)	0.83
Employment status, no (%)
Employed	13 (31)	17 (40)	0.36
Unemployed or social assistance	13 (31)	11 (26)	0.63
Retired	16 (38)	14 (33)	0.65
Smoking, no (%)
Never	18 (43)	15 (36)	0.50
Current	5 (12)	13 (31)	0.03
Former	19 (45)	14 (33)	0.26
Hypertension	39 (92)	19 (45)	<0.0001
Diabetes, no (%)	36 (86)	12 (29)	<0.0001
Dyslipidemia, no (%)	19 (45)	12 (29)	0.11
Stroke, no (%)	9 (21)	7 (17)	0.58
Heart disease, no (%)	16 (38)	8 (19)	0.05
Peripheral vascular disease, no (%)	6 (14)	5 (12)	0.75
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, no (%)	5 (12)	11 (26)	0.10
Asthma, no (%)	3 (7)	0 (0)	0.08
Sleep apnea, no (%)	18 (43)	0 (0)	<0.0001
Cancer, no (%)	0 (0)	3 (7)	0.08
Arthritis, no (%)	16 (38)	8 (19)	0.05
Dementia, no (%)	4 (10)	6 (14)	0.50
Mental illness, no (%)	20 (48)	12 (29)	0.07
Neurological disease, no (%)	10 (24)	3 (7)	0.03
Renal failure, no (%)	12 (29)	4 (10)	0.03
Pressure ulcer, no (%)	9 (21)	7 (17)	0.58
Venous thromboembolic disease, no (%)	4 (10)	3 (7)	0.69

*Subjects were matched on sex and admitting diagnosis.