STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON THE IMPACT OF SMOKING HABIT, WEIGHT, AND AGE ON MEDICAL COST OF DIABETIS PATIENTS

This study examined the relationship between smoking habits, weight categories, age, and medical costs among patients at OAU Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife. Data were collected from 50 patients and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and multiple regression analysis. The sample comprised 52.0% smokers and 48.0% non-smokers, with 54.0% classified as overweight or obese. Medical costs ranged from ₦5,000 to ₦16,000 (mean = ₦8,720). Results showed that age was the strongest predictor of medical costs, with highly significant differences across age groups (p < 0.001). Weight category showed marginal significance (p = 0.050), while smoking status was not significant in bivariate analysis (p = 0.151). The regression model explained 81.1% of medical cost variance (R² = 0.811, p < 0.001), with age emerging as the dominant factor (β = 0.880, p < 0.001). The study concludes that age-based stratification should be prioritized in healthcare resource allocation and cost management planning.