Economic evaluation of the US Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise program: sun protection education for young children.
OBJECTIVE
The SunWise School Program is a school-based sun safety education program that was developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency and aims to teach children how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun. The objectives of this study were to assess the health benefits of the SunWise School Program and use economic analysis to determine the program's net benefits and cost-effectiveness.


METHODS
Standard cost/benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis methods were used. Intervention costs were measured as program costs estimated to be incurred by the US government, which funds SunWise, using 3 funding scenarios. Health outcomes were measured as skin cancer cases and premature mortalities averted and quality-adjusted life-years saved. These health outcomes were modeled using an effectiveness evaluation of SunWise based on pretest and posttest surveys administered to students who participated in the program and the Environmental Protection Agency's peer-reviewed Atmospheric and Health Effects Framework model. Costs averted were measured as direct medical costs and costs of productivity losses averted as a result of SunWise. Net benefits were measured as the difference between costs averted and program costs.


RESULTS
Economic analysis indicated that if the SunWise School Program continues through 2015 at current funding levels, then it should avert >50 premature deaths, nearly 11,000 skin cancer cases, and 960 quality-adjusted life-years (undiscounted) among its participants. For every dollar invested in SunWise, between approximately $2 and $4 in medical care costs and productivity losses are saved, depending on the funding scenario.


CONCLUSIONS
From a cost/benefit and cost-effectiveness perspective, it is worthwhile to educate children about sun safety; small to modest behavioral impacts may result in significant reductions in skin cancer incidence and mortality.
Kyle
Jessica W
JW
ICF International, 1725 Eye St, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, USA.
Hammitt
James K
JK
Lim
Henry W
HW
Geller
Alan C
AC
Hall-Jordan
Luke H
LH
Maibach
Edward W
EW
De Fabo
Edward C
EC
Wagner
Mark C
MC
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004521:Educational Measurement; D015438:Health Behavior; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006266:Health Education / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012572:School Health Services; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States