AUTHOR=Zanganeh Mandana , Adab Peymane , Li Bai , Pallan Miranda , Liu Wei Jia , Hemming Karla , Lin Rong , Liu Wei , Martin James , Cheng Kar Keung , Frew Emma 

TITLE=Cost-Effectiveness of a School-and Family-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme in China: The “CHIRPY DRAGON” Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=66

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2021.1604025

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2021.1604025

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> 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.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> 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.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> 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.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> A multi-component school-based prevention programme is a cost-effective means of preventing childhood obesity in China.</p>