Abstract
Objectives: Rapid socioeconomic and nutrition transitions in Chinese populations have contributed to the growth in childhood obesity. This study presents a cost-effectiveness analysis of a school- and family-based childhood obesity prevention programme in China.
Methods: A trial-based economic evaluation assessed cost-effectiveness at 12 months. Forty schools with 1,641 children were randomised to either receive the multi-component (diet and physical activity) intervention or to continue with usual activities. Both public sector and societal perspectives were adopted. Costs and benefits in the form of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were compared and uncertainty was assessed using established UK and US thresholds.
Results: The intervention cost was 35.53 Yuan (£7.04/US$10.01) per child from a public sector perspective and 536.95 Yuan (£106/US$151) from a societal perspective. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was 272.7 Yuan (£54/US$77)/BMI z-score change. The ICER was 8,888 Yuan (£1,760/US$2,502) and 73,831 Yuan (£14,620/ US$20,796) per QALY from a public sector and societal perspective, respectively and was cost-effective using UK (£20,000) and US (US$50,000) per QALY thresholds.
Conclusion: A multi-component school-based prevention programme is a cost-effective means of preventing childhood obesity in China.
Methods: A trial-based economic evaluation assessed cost-effectiveness at 12 months. Forty schools with 1,641 children were randomised to either receive the multi-component (diet and physical activity) intervention or to continue with usual activities. Both public sector and societal perspectives were adopted. Costs and benefits in the form of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were compared and uncertainty was assessed using established UK and US thresholds.
Results: The intervention cost was 35.53 Yuan (£7.04/US$10.01) per child from a public sector perspective and 536.95 Yuan (£106/US$151) from a societal perspective. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was 272.7 Yuan (£54/US$77)/BMI z-score change. The ICER was 8,888 Yuan (£1,760/US$2,502) and 73,831 Yuan (£14,620/ US$20,796) per QALY from a public sector and societal perspective, respectively and was cost-effective using UK (£20,000) and US (US$50,000) per QALY thresholds.
Conclusion: A multi-component school-based prevention programme is a cost-effective means of preventing childhood obesity in China.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1604025 |
| Journal | International Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 66 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Aug 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We would like to thank the schools, parents and children who participated in the study and for the Chinese Local Authorities for their support. We would also like to thank Hareth Al-Janabi, and Raymond Oppong at the University of Birmingham for their guidance with the economic evaluation methods and analysis.
Funding Information:
PA, EF, MP, KC, KH, and JM report grants from the NIHR on unrelated research. PA, EJ, MP, KH, and KC report grants from the NIHR related to research on childhood obesity prevention. EF and PA were trustees of the Association for the Study of Obesity (PA 2014–2017; EF 2017–2019).
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Zanganeh, Adab, Li, Pallan, Liu, Hemming, Lin, Liu, Martin, Cheng and Frew.
Research Groups and Themes
- SPS Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences
Keywords
- children
- prevention
- obesity
- China
- economic evaluation
- school based intervention
Access to Document
- Full-text PDF (final published version)
This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Frontiers Media at 10.3389/ijph.2021.1604025. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.