Economic Burden of Multi-Morbidity of Households in the Ennore Peri-Urban Industrial Region, Tamil Nadu: A Prevalence-Based Retrospective Cost of Illness Approach

Abstract

Peri-urban industrialization has been the cause behind intricate negative dynamics among land use change, environmental quality and health of local communities. Especially, the ill-health of local communities imposes a huge economic burden, which is influenced by a number of factors. So, this study estimates ‘Economic Burden of Illness (EBD)’, and studies the influence of social, economic and demographic variables/factors on the former.  This research study is a prevalence-based cum retrospective household ‘Cost of Illness (COI)’ study, which was conducted in the year 2023, among local community households at the Ennore peri-urban industrial region area. The data regarding direct and indirect COI were collected and analysed using semi-structured interviews and STATA version 17 respectively. The results have revealed that mean annual household COI, direct and indirect COIs are Rs. 119871.63, Rs. 66422.66 and Rs. 53448.97 respectively. The mean proportion of ‘Annual Household COI’ in the Annual Household Income is 56.56%, which is a serious socio-economic concern. Further, the results of the multiple linear regression model, which was employed to examine the relationship between annual household COI and other social, economic and demographic variables, has revealed that a marginal increase in a male member with chronic illnesses impact the ‘Annual Household COI’ more than a marginal increase in a female. Especially, the working age population 15-64 have been affected the most. The findings indicate that the Ennore Peri-urban area needs a public health intervention program that maximises the utility gain of health benefits, and focuses on mainly males in the working age.