Cost-effectiveness of healthcare-based interventions aimed at improving physical activity.
OBJECTIVE
This article aims to review current knowledge concerning the cost-effectiveness of healthcare-based interventions aimed at improving physical activity.


METHODS
A search was performed for economic evaluations containing the terms "physical activity", "exercise", or "fitness". Cost-effectiveness for the articles found was described based on a model for evaluating interventions intended to promote physical activity.


RESULTS
A total of 26 articles were found in the search. Nine of them concern a general population, 7 evaluated older people, and 10 studied disease-specific populations. A preventive perspective is most common, but some have a treatment perspective. Around 20 of the interventions studied were cost-effective according to their authors, but all analyses had some shortcomings in their evaluation methods.


CONCLUSIONS
This review found many examples of cost-effective interventions. There is a lack of evidence for the cost-effectiveness of interventions aimed at those whose only risk factor for illness is a sedentary lifestyle. There is more evidence, although it is limited, for the cost-effectiveness of interventions aimed at high-risk groups or those who manifest poor health related to physical inactivity. Most of the evidence for cost-effectiveness is for older people and those with heart failure. Promotion of physical activity can be cost-effective with different methods and in different settings, but there remains a lack of evidence for specific methods in specific populations.
Hagberg
Lars A
LA
Orebro County Council, Department of Public Health, Orebro, Sweden. lars.hagberg@orebroll.se
Lindholm
Lars
L
D000368:Aged; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics*; D006304:Health Status; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D018803:Models, Economic; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics*; D012307:Risk Factors