title: Costing a pilot complex community-based childhood obesity intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood obesity has significant impact on future health and economic consequences. Evidence of effectiveness of interventions is developing, although little is known about costs. Therefore, the direct costs to health care and other public sector agencies of a pilot community-based childhood obesity treatment programme were estimated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study comprised a retrospective review of resource use of an intervention drawing resources from local government and primary care sectors and delivered across multiple settings. Ninety-six children, aged 8-16 years old; body mass index (BMI) >98th centile; mean BMI SD 3.1 and low quality of life scores attended a 12-month programme delivered by nonhealth professionals. Direct costs to health care and other public sector agencies were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total programme direct costs were £82,380 (€94,736, $123,569) in the base case or £120,474 (€138,546, $180,713) when venues were treated as real additional costs, and varied only slightly with the number of participants in the programme. Costs per participant were £858 (€987, $1287) in the base case or £1255 (€1443, $1883) when venues were treated as additional costs. Costs per participant were sensitive to the number of participants, varying between £691 (€795, $1037) and £2026 (€2330, $3039) when venue costs were zero and between £1009 (€1160, $1514) and £2978 (€3425, $4467) with venue costs added.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possible to provide a community-based service at reasonable cost, and probably less than for health professional delivered services. Further work is required to assess the possible effects of the programme on wider service resource use, on users' costs and on programme effectiveness.
authors: Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK. c.spoor@leedsmet.ac.uk
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Spoor
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Sahota
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Wellings
authors: M C J
authors: MC
authors: Rudolf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019058:Community Networks / Q000191:economics; D017046:Cost Savings; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies