Cost-effectiveness of family-based group treatment for child and parental obesity

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern with familial aggregation.
• Family-based behavioral treatment (FBT) has shown efficacy in pediatric weight management.
• This study evaluates the economic impact of FBT versus separate parent-child (PC) treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the costs and cost-effectiveness of FBT compared to separate group treatments for overweight/obese children and their parents.
• To provide economic data to inform obesity intervention strategies for families.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 50 overweight/obese child-parent dyads.
• Interventions included 12 months of either FBT or separate PC treatment.
• Societal costs and cost-effectiveness were assessed based on different program delivery models (PC-1 and PC-2).

Main Results:

• FBT resulted in significantly lower average societal costs per family compared to PC treatments ($1,448 for FBT vs. $2,260 for PC-1 and $2,124 for PC-2).
• Child cost-effectiveness was substantially better with FBT ($209.17/percent overBMI) than PC treatments ($1,036.50/percent overBMI for PC-1, $973.98/percent overBMI for PC-2).
• Parent cost-effectiveness also favored FBT ($132.97/lb) over PC treatments ($373.53/lb for PC-1, $351.00/lb for PC-2).

Conclusions:

• Family-based behavioral treatment (FBT) is a more cost-effective approach for managing pediatric obesity than separate parent-child interventions.
• FBT offers a cost-effective platform for obesity intervention, leading to significant weight loss in both overweight children and their parents.
• Given the prevalence of obesity, FBT presents a valuable strategy for public health initiatives.