Abstract
Objectives:
To gain insight in realistic policy targets for overweight at a population level and the accompanying costs. Therefore, the effect on overweight prevalence was estimated of large scale implementation of a community intervention (applied to 90% of general population) and an intensive lifestyle program (applied to 10% of overweight adults), and costs and cost-effectiveness were assessed.
Methods:
Costs and effects were based on two Dutch projects and verified by similar international projects. A markov-type simulation model estimated long-term health benefits, health care costs and cost-effectiveness.
Results:
Combined implementation of the interventions--at the above mentioned scale--reduces prevalence rates of overweight by approximately 3 percentage points and of physical inactivity by 2 percentage points after 5 years, at a cost of 7 euros per adult capita per year. The cost-effectiveness ratio of combined implementation amounts to euro 6000 per life-year gained and euro 5700 per QALY gained (including costs of unrelated diseases in life years gained). Sensitivity analyses showed that these ratios are quite robust.
Conclusions:
A realistic policy target is a decrease in overweight prevalence of three percentage points, compared to a situation with no interventions. In reality, large scale implementation of the interventions may not counteract the expected upward trends in The Netherlands completely. Nonetheless, implementation of the interventions is cost-effective.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 127-132 |
| Journal | Preventive Medicine |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2008 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Health Policy
- Health Promotion
- Humans
- Life Style
- Markov Chains
- Middle Aged
- Models, Statistical
- Netherlands
- Overweight
- Program Evaluation
- Quality-Adjusted Life Years
- Journal Article
Cite this
}
The costs, effects and cost-effectiveness of counteracting overweight on a population level : A scientific base for policy targets for the Dutch national plan for action. / Bemelmans, Wanda; van Baal, Pieter; Wendel-Vos, Wanda; Schuit, A.J.; Feskens, Edith; Ament, Andre; Hoogenveen, Rudolf.
In: Preventive Medicine, Vol. 46, No. 2, 02.2008, p. 127-132.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - The costs, effects and cost-effectiveness of counteracting overweight on a population level
T2 - A scientific base for policy targets for the Dutch national plan for action
AU - Bemelmans, Wanda
AU - van Baal, Pieter
AU - Wendel-Vos, Wanda
AU - Schuit, A.J.
AU - Feskens, Edith
AU - Ament, Andre
AU - Hoogenveen, Rudolf
PY - 2008/2
Y1 - 2008/2
N2 - Objectives: To gain insight in realistic policy targets for overweight at a population level and the accompanying costs. Therefore, the effect on overweight prevalence was estimated of large scale implementation of a community intervention (applied to 90% of general population) and an intensive lifestyle program (applied to 10% of overweight adults), and costs and cost-effectiveness were assessed.Methods: Costs and effects were based on two Dutch projects and verified by similar international projects. A markov-type simulation model estimated long-term health benefits, health care costs and cost-effectiveness.Results: Combined implementation of the interventions--at the above mentioned scale--reduces prevalence rates of overweight by approximately 3 percentage points and of physical inactivity by 2 percentage points after 5 years, at a cost of 7 euros per adult capita per year. The cost-effectiveness ratio of combined implementation amounts to euro 6000 per life-year gained and euro 5700 per QALY gained (including costs of unrelated diseases in life years gained). Sensitivity analyses showed that these ratios are quite robust.Conclusions: A realistic policy target is a decrease in overweight prevalence of three percentage points, compared to a situation with no interventions. In reality, large scale implementation of the interventions may not counteract the expected upward trends in The Netherlands completely. Nonetheless, implementation of the interventions is cost-effective.
AB - Objectives: To gain insight in realistic policy targets for overweight at a population level and the accompanying costs. Therefore, the effect on overweight prevalence was estimated of large scale implementation of a community intervention (applied to 90% of general population) and an intensive lifestyle program (applied to 10% of overweight adults), and costs and cost-effectiveness were assessed.Methods: Costs and effects were based on two Dutch projects and verified by similar international projects. A markov-type simulation model estimated long-term health benefits, health care costs and cost-effectiveness.Results: Combined implementation of the interventions--at the above mentioned scale--reduces prevalence rates of overweight by approximately 3 percentage points and of physical inactivity by 2 percentage points after 5 years, at a cost of 7 euros per adult capita per year. The cost-effectiveness ratio of combined implementation amounts to euro 6000 per life-year gained and euro 5700 per QALY gained (including costs of unrelated diseases in life years gained). Sensitivity analyses showed that these ratios are quite robust.Conclusions: A realistic policy target is a decrease in overweight prevalence of three percentage points, compared to a situation with no interventions. In reality, large scale implementation of the interventions may not counteract the expected upward trends in The Netherlands completely. Nonetheless, implementation of the interventions is cost-effective.
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Cost-Benefit Analysis
KW - Health Policy
KW - Health Promotion
KW - Humans
KW - Life Style
KW - Markov Chains
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Models, Statistical
KW - Netherlands
KW - Overweight
KW - Program Evaluation
KW - Quality-Adjusted Life Years
KW - Journal Article
U2 - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.07.029
DO - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.07.029
M3 - Article
VL - 46
SP - 127
EP - 132
JO - Preventive Medicine
JF - Preventive Medicine
SN - 0091-7435
IS - 2
ER -