Cost-Effectiveness of 5 Public Health Approaches to Prevent Eating Disorders

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Eating disorders represent a significant public health concern, leading to severe suffering and mortality.
• Translating research into effective interventions necessitates robust cost-effectiveness analyses.
• Estimating the economic impact of preventive strategies is crucial for resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the cost-effectiveness of five distinct public health interventions for preventing eating disorders in adolescents and young adults.
• To compare the economic benefits of school-based screening, primary care screening, universal prevention programs, and regulatory measures on diet pills.

Main Methods:

• A microsimulation model was developed, analyzing a cohort from age 10 to 40, using data from 2001-2017.
• Five prevention strategies were evaluated: school-based screening, primary care screening, universal school-based prevention, an excise tax on diet pills, and restrictions on youth purchasing diet pills.
• Cost-effectiveness was assessed using a threshold of $100,000 per quality-adjusted life-year, estimating reductions in years lived with eating disorders and increases in quality-adjusted life-years.

Main Results:

• All five evaluated interventions were found to be cost-saving compared to current practices.
• Per-person cost savings ranged from $63 for clinic screening to $1,102 for school-based universal prevention.
• Excluding caregiver costs significantly reduced estimated savings, highlighting the comprehensive economic burden of eating disorders.

Conclusions:

• Public health strategies targeting eating disorder prevention are likely to be cost-saving, reducing the overall societal burden.
• Universal prevention programs promoting healthy behaviors without weight stigma may yield additional benefits, such as preventing excess weight gain.
• Implementing these cost-effective interventions is recommended to improve population health and reduce healthcare expenditures.