Does age modify the cost-effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions?

Background: Community-based efforts to promote physical activity (PA) in adults have been found to be cost-effective in general, but it is unknown if this is true in middle-age specifically. Age group-specific economic evaluations could help inform the design and delivery of better and more tailored PA promotion.

Methods: A Markov model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness (CE) of 7 exemplar community-level interventions to promote PA recommended by the Guide to Community Preventive Services, over a 20-year horizon.

Cost effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions.

Background: Physical inactivity is associated with the increased risk of many chronic diseases. Such risks decrease with increases in physical activity. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of population-wide strategies to promote physical activity in adults and followed disease incidence over a lifetime.

Economic evaluation of weight loss interventions in overweight and obese women.

Objective: To conduct a clinical and economic evaluation of outpatient weight loss strategies in overweight and obese adult U.S. women.

Time preference bias in time trade-off.

This study examined whether time trade-off (TTO) values adjusted for time preferences are more consistent with individuals' preferences. This was carried out by testing the constant proportional trade-off (CPTO) assumption, and both individual specific and standard discount rates were used. The results show that the mean adjustment factor is around 0.

Valuing the benefits of weight loss programs: an application of the discrete choice experiment.

Objective: Obesity is a leading health threat. Determination of optimal therapies for long-term weight loss remains a challenge. Evidence suggests that successful weight loss depends on the compliance of weight loss program participants with their weight loss efforts.

Economics and obesity: costing the problem or evaluating solutions?

There is no doubt that obesity is a major public health problem. However, what is the contribution of economics to solving it? In this report, we make the case that the role of economics is not in measuring the economic burden of obesity, through so-called cost-of-illness studies. Such studies merely confirm that obesity is a serious societal issue; adding a monetary figure to this does not add much.