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Using Simulation Modeling to Guide the Design of the Girl Scouts Fierce & Fit Program
Marie C Ferguson1, Matthew J Morgan1, Kelly J O'Shea1
1Public Health Informatics, Computational, and Operations Research (PHICOR), City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, New York, USA.
Objective:
The study aim was to help the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland evaluate, quantify, and potentially modify the Girl Scouts Fierce & Fit program.
Methods:
From 2018 to 2019, our Public Health Informatics, Computational, and Operations Research team developed a computational simulation model representing the 250 adolescent girls participating in the Fierce & Fit program and how their diets and physical activity affected their BMI and subsequent outcomes, including costs.
Results:
Changing the Fierce & Fit program from a 6-week program meeting twice a week, with 5 minutes of physical activity each session, to a 12-week program meeting twice a week with 30 minutes of physical activity saved an additional $84,828 ($80,130-$89,526) in lifetime direct medical costs, $81,365 ($76,528-$86,184) in lifetime productivity losses, and 7.85 (7.38-8.31) quality-adjusted life-years. The cost-benefit of implementing this program was $95,943. Based on these results, the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland then implemented these changes in the program.
Conclusions:
This is an example of using computational modeling to help evaluate and revise the design of a program aimed at increasing physical activity among girls.
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