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Published on: February 2, 2017
Primary prevention programs for childhood obesity: are they cost-effective?
Miriana Guarino1, Lorena Matonti2, Francesco Chiarelli2
1University of Study G. d'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, Italy. mirianag_@hotmail.it.
Primary prevention programs for childhood obesity are often cost-effective, showing positive economic outcomes. More consistent study designs are needed to confirm these findings for public health initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Childhood obesity presents a growing global challenge, impacting quality of life and incurring significant societal costs.
- Effective primary prevention strategies are crucial for mitigating the long-term health and economic consequences of pediatric overweight and obesity.
Approach:
- This systematic review evaluated the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of primary prevention programs targeting childhood overweight/obesity.
- Studies were identified through comprehensive searches of PubMed and Google Scholar, with quality assessed using Drummond's checklist.
Key Points:
- Ten studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing community-based, school-based, or combined prevention programs.
- Seventy percent of the reviewed studies reported positive economic results, indicating the cost-effectiveness of implemented interventions.
- Significant heterogeneity was observed in study designs, target populations, and outcome measures.
Conclusions:
- The majority of primary prevention programs for childhood obesity demonstrate favorable economic outcomes.
- Enhancing study homogeneity and consistency is essential for robustly validating the cost-effectiveness of these interventions.
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