title: A cost-effectiveness analysis of teledietetics in short-, intermediate-, and long-term weight reduction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the effectiveness of teledietetics in weight loss for 24 weeks and the cost-effectiveness of weight loss between face-to-face and teledietetics services.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at a community health center and a community dietetics clinic. The study was a quasiexperimental design. Fifty adults aged 20-50 with a BMI ≥23 participated in the study. The face-to-face (FD) group received 12 dietary counselling sessions and recorded their diet in a log book. The teledietetics (TD) group attended three group nutrition seminars and recorded their diet on a Web-based platform. Changes in variables were compared using an independent t-test. Direct and indirect costs were applied to compute cost-effectiveness ratios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At week 6, the FD group showed greater reductions in all variables than did the TD group. At week 12, the effects reversed. At week 24, the accumulated reductions in weight and fat in the TD group were significantly higher than those in the FD group (all at p < 0.0001). The observed direct costs for 1% weight loss and 1% fat loss were USD 28.24 and USD17.09, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A dietetic service delivered as a teledietetics model is more cost-effective than the face-to-face dietetics model in weight reduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Physical Education, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, New Territories, Hong Kong chungmy@ied.edu.hk.
authors.forename: L M Y
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Health Sciences Tung Wah College, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Q P S
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Performance, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: S S M
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Physical Education, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: J W Y
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: College of Professional & Continuing Education The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D004032:Diet; D004046:Dietetics / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult