title: A systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of non-surgical obesity interventions in men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing obesity related health conditions have a substantial burden on population health and healthcare spending. Obesity may have a sex-specific impact on disease development, men and women may respond differently to interventions, and there may be sex-specific differences to the cost-effectiveness of interventions to address obesity. There is no clear indication of cost-effective treatments for men.
  
  
  METHODS
  This systematic review summarises the literature reporting the cost-effectiveness of non-surgical weight-management interventions for men. Studies were quality assessed against a checklist for appraising decision modelling studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although none of the included studies explicitly set out to determine the cost-effectiveness of treatment for men, seven studies reported results for subgroups of men. Interventions were grouped into lifestyle interventions (five studies) and Orlistat (two studies). The retrieved studies showed promising evidence of cost-effectiveness, especially when interventions were targeted at high-risk groups, such as those with impaired glucose tolerance. There appears to be some sex-specific elements to cost-effectiveness, however, there were no clear trends or indications of what may be contributing to this.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The economic evidence was highly uncertain, and limited by variable methodological quality of the included studies. It was therefore not possible to draw strong conclusions on cost-effectiveness. Future studies are required to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of interventions specifically targeted towards weight loss for men.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom; Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom. Electronic address: d.boyers@abdn.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Dwayne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boyers
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avenell
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom; Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, United Kingdom; Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research & Policy (SCPHRP) Centre for Population Health Sciences (CPHS) University of Edinburgh, 20 West Richmond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DX.
authors.forename: Daryll
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Archibald
authors.affiliation: Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen, Greenburn Road, Aberdeen, AB21 9SB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.affiliation: Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional Research Unit, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hoddinott
authors.affiliation: Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth House B112, 19 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, Bournemouth BU1 3LH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Teijlingen
mesh_terms: D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health / Q000191:economics*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Cost-effectiveness; Decision analysis; Men's health; Obesity treatment