Public Willingness to Pay for Alzheimer's Preventive Medication in Iran: A Contingent Valuation Study

Alzheimer's disease is associated with substantial health and economic burdens worldwide. As the prevalence of the disease continues to increase, understanding public willingness to pay (WTP) for preventive interventions is important for healthcare planning and policy development. This study estimated WTP for a hypothetical Alzheimer's preventive drug and identified factors associated with WTP among adults in Iran.

A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 among 495 adults aged 18-70 years (mean age: 36.05 ± 10.09 years) in Kermanshah, Iran, who were selected using multistage cluster sampling. WTP was assessed using the contingent valuation method (CVM) with a double-bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) format. Responses were analyzed using a maximum-likelihood estimation model.

Seventy-two percent of participants expressed WTP for an Alzheimer's preventive drug. The estimated monthly mean WTP was 5,150,000 Iranian Rials (IRR) (approximately USD 5.1 at the time of the study). Higher WTP was significantly associated with gender, insurance coverage, preventive attitudes, perceived risk of Alzheimer's disease, and risk-taking behavior. Age, marital status, and educational attainment were not significantly associated with WTP.

Participants placed considerable value on potential Alzheimer's disease prevention. The findings suggest that insurance coverage, public awareness initiatives, and consideration of individual risk perceptions may be important factors in the design and implementation of future Alzheimer's prevention programs. These findings should be interpreted in light of the cross-sectional design of the study.