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Cost-effectiveness of a family-based multicomponent outpatient intervention program for children with obesity in
L M Lier1, C Breuer2, N Ferrari3
1MA. Strategy & International Management, BSc Business Administration & Economics Department of Sports Economics and Sport Management, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany, Eisenstraße 5, 50925, Cologne, Germany.
Insights
This study demonstrates that the Children's Health InterventionaL Trial (CHILT) is a cost-effective obesity intervention for children. The program yields significant health improvements and a positive return on investment for public health.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Obesity Management
- Health Economics
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic, posing significant public health challenges and straining healthcare budgets.
- Effective and economically viable interventions are crucial for managing pediatric obesity.
- The Children's Health InterventionaL Trial (CHILT) is an 11-month outpatient, multidisciplinary, family-based program designed to address childhood obesity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the return on investment (ROI) of existing childhood obesity interventions.
- To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the CHILT program.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 249 overweight and obese children participating in the CHILT program.
- Cost-effectiveness assessment comparing intervention costs with estimated healthcare savings from reduced weight and improved health parameters.
- Modeling of future healthcare savings based on existing research on juvenile obesity costs and disease remission.
Main Results:
- Participants achieved an average reduction of 0.19 in BMI SDS, decreased blood pressure (systolic -1.76 mmHg, diastolic -2.82 mmHg), and improved cholesterol levels (HDL +1.31 mg/dL, LDL -4.82 mg/dL).
- Intervention costs averaged 1799€ per participant.
- Projected future healthcare savings ranged from 1859€ to 1926€ per person, yielding an ROI of 3.3-7.0%.
Conclusions:
- The CHILT program is a multicomponent intervention that effectively reduces weight and improves key health indicators in children.
- The study confirms the cost-effectiveness of this obesity intervention, demonstrating a significant return on investment.
Objectives:
Facing an epidemic of childhood obesity and budget constraints, public health administrations are showing an urgent interest in interventions that are both health effective and cost-effective. Thus, this study intends to analyze the return on investment of these existing programs.
Study Design:
All analyses are based on a comprehensive data set from 249 children with obesity and overweight children who participated in the Children's Health InterventionaL Trial (CHILT), an 11-month outpatient multidisciplinary family-based program.
Methods:
Cost-effectiveness was assessed by comparing estimated savings associated with a reduction in weight and improvement of obesity-related health parameters with intervention costs. Projected future savings in health care expenditures were modeled on existing research, using estimates of health care costs associated with juvenile obesity and remission thresholds of obesity-related disease.
Results:
On average, participants achieved a 0.19-unit reduction in the body mass index standard deviation score, showed reduction in their blood pressure values (systolic = -1.76 mmHg, diastolic = -2.82 mmHg), and showed improvement in their high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol values (HDL = +1.31 mg/dL, LDL = -4.82 mg/dL). The intervention costs were 1799€ per participant, and the benefits of avoided future health care costs varied by individual. On an aggregated level, future savings amounted to between 1859€ and 1926€ per person, translating into a return on investment of 3.3-7.0%.
Conclusions:
This study shows that a multicomponent obesity intervention, such as the CHILT, not only results in weight loss and improves important health parameters but also is cost-effective.
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