title: Economic evaluation of an occupational health care guideline for prevention of weight gain among employees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the cost-effectiveness and the financial return of a guideline for occupational physicians (OPs), aimed at the prevention of weight gain among employees.
  
  
  METHODS
  The guideline consisted of a company-environment scan and up to five individual sessions with an OP. Sixteen OPs randomized to the guideline (n = 7) or usual care group (n = 9) recruited 275 and 249 employees. Costs were collected by using 3-monthly retrospective questionnaires. Quality-adjusted life-years gained were determined with 6-monthly administered EuroQol-5D. Waist circumference and body weight were measured at baseline and 18 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unfavorable differences were found on waist circumference (+1.6 cm; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27 to 2.90) and weight (+1.1 kg; 95% CI, 0.01 to 2.15). Probabilities of cost-effectiveness were consistently less than 55%. Net employer loss was &OV0556;-158 (95% CI, -2865 to 2672).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The occupational health care guideline was not cost-effective and no financial return was shown.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. mvanwier@gmail.com
authors: Marieke F
authors: MF
authors: van Wier
authors: Lisanne M
authors: LM
authors: Verweij
authors: Karin I
authors: KI
authors: Proper
authors: Carel T J
authors: CT
authors: Hulshof
authors: Maurits W
authors: MW
authors: van Tulder
authors: Willem
authors: W
authors: van Mechelen
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062405:Motivational Interviewing / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D009426:Netherlands; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055105:Waist Circumference; D015430:Weight Gain