Smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet and unhealthy alcohol consumption are sending Ontarians to hospital for more than 900,000 days a year, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
“From 2001 to 2012, we found that nearly one of every three days Ontarians spent in a hospital bed could be attributed to smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet and unhealthy alcohol consumption,” says Dr. Doug Manuel, lead author of the study 900,000 Days in Hospital: The annual impact of smoking, alcohol, diet and physical activity on hospital use in Ontario and senior scientist at ICES and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
The researchers have created an online calculator to help Ontarians estimate their life expectancy and the amount of time they might expect to spend in hospital due to their habits and lifestyle choices.
“We found that a 54-year-old Ontarian with the unhealthiest behaviours for all four risks had the same hospital use as the average 75-year-old Ontarian with none of the risks. That’s a 21-year health gap resulting from behaviours that are certainly modifiable,” says Manuel, who is also an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at uOttawa.
While other studies have looked at the impact of these behaviours individually, this is the first time they have been assessed as a group.
“This study clearly shows the benefits of healthy living,” said Larry Stinson, president of the Ontario Public Health Association. “Unfortunately, fixing this rather large problem is not as easy as people simply deciding to make healthier choices. We need to create an environment that actively makes it easier for Ontarians to live healthier lives, regardless of their income and where they live, work, study or play.”
In addition to increasing life expectancy and people’s overall quality of life, healthier living would also reduce demands placed on Canada’s healthcare system.
“As Ontario works toward a community model that provides the right healthcare in the right setting, gains in public health are essential,” says Dr. Jack Kitts, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital. “The shift will mean that acute care hospitals, such as The Ottawa Hospital, will be better able to focus expertise on providing the best care possible to the province’s sickest patients.”
The study also found the following:
- Thirty-two per cent of hospital bed use between 2001 and 2012 could be attributed to smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet and unhealthy alcohol consumption.
- In 2011, these unhealthy behaviours accounted for the use of 942,000 hospital bed days, at a cost of $1.8 billion for insured residents of Ontario.
- Nearly all Ontarians reported at least one of the four health behaviour risks; only 7.2% reported none.
- People between the ages of 20 and 79 with the unhealthiest behaviour for all four categories used 280% more bed days (42 more days) when compared to people with the healthiest behaviours.
- Smoking had the greatest impact on hospital use, followed by physical inactivity and poor diet (17%, 12% and 6% of hospital use, respectively).
- Ontarians with the lowest family income occupied hospital beds for 171% more days than people with the highest income. Less than half of this difference was attributed to behaviour risks.
“We know that what we do has a tremendous impact on our health,” adds Manuel. “But this report shows just how much those modifiable risk factors are costing our healthcare system in not only days, but dollars.”
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