The Cost of Physical Activity Promotion Interventions

Abstract

1470 BACKGROUND: Despite the widespread recognition of the health and economic burden of physical inactivity and the availability of effective public health interventions, little progress is being made in implementing population-wide interventions. This is partly due to the absence of cost-effectiveness data on many of the intervention strategies. PURPOSE: To identify, measure and value the cost of different physical activity promotion intervention strategies. The next step will be to determine the economic consequences of physical inactivity through an economic evaluation of these competing interventions. METHODS: Four population-wide intervention strategies which are “strongly recommended” by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services were evaluated: i) community wide campaigns; ii) individually adapted health behavior change programs; iii) social support interventions; and iv) programs aimed at enhancing access to physical activity opportunities. Exemplar studies under each strategy were selected based on a specific set of criteria and each intervention protocol was then carefully considered in order to determine direct and indirect program costs. RESULTS: Total annual cost and per-person annual cost for each intervention examined are shown in the table below.TableCONCLUSION: There is a fairly large range among the interventions in terms of perperson annual costs ($210.00 to $3,594.00). This is critical information for the eventual comparative cost-effectiveness analysis to be performed. Supported in part by: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.