Cost-effectiveness of group and mixed family-based treatment for childhood obesity.
OBJECTIVE
Family-based, behavioral treatment has been shown to be an effective intervention for the management of pediatric obesity. The goal of this study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of two protocols for the delivery of family-based behavioral treatment.


METHODS
Thirty-one families with obese children were randomized to groups in which families were provided mixed treatment incorporating both group and individualized treatment vs group treatment only. Cost-effectiveness of treatment was defined as the magnitude of reduction in standardized BMI and percentage overweight per dollar spent for recruitment and treatment. Anthropometric data were assessed at baseline, 6 months and 12 months post-randomization.


RESULTS
Results for the 24 families with complete data showed the group intervention was significantly more cost-effective than the mixed treatment. This was due to the similarity between the two groups in Z-BMI or percentage overweight change for children and their parents, while the mixed treatment was significantly more expensive to deliver than the group treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that a family-based, behavioral intervention employing group treatment alone is a more cost-effective approach to treating pediatric obesity than a mixed group plus individual format.
Goldfield
G S
GS
Mental Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ontario, Canada.
Epstein
L H
LH
Kilanowski
C K
CK
Paluch
R A
RA
Kogut-Bossler
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000191:economics*; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000191:economics; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss