Willingness To Pay Method Research Articles

A case study of unwillingness toward PET bottle recycling behaviors - a new contingent valuation approach which requests only simple comparison of perceptive stimuli

This study aims to answer why the quality of PET bottles collected from supermarkets and public waste drop-off stations waste were contrastingly high and poor, respectively. This study developed a new contingent valuation approach which requested only simple comparison of perceptive stimuli by questionnaire respondents. This approach subsequently valuated the stimuli, like unwillingness toward waste sorting, based on outsourcing market prices. Unwillingness toward required actions for PET bottle recycling were evaluated by conventional Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) method and the new method. There was good agreement between two methods for weak and moderate unwillingness. The easiest and hardest actions are cap removal (1.77 JPN yen) and disposal in supermarkets (57.9 JPN yen), respectively. On the other hand, the unwillingness toward disposal in the supermarket was valuated three times larger than that of WTP method. This difference between WTP and the new methods might suggest that the new method valuated not only perceived but also unconscious unwillingness. Large non-recognizable unwillingness toward bringing PET bottles from home to a supermarket might serve like a social filter to allow only recycle-conscious persons to participate in PET bottle recycle against large unwillingness. It eventually results in PET bottle collection with constantly good quality. Social implementation of psychological barrier like strong unwillingness in waste collection system might be promising for efficient waste separation, called “separate recycling participation, not wastes” approach.

Estimation of the Impact of Foodborne Salmonellosis on Consumer Well-Being in Hungary.

In Hungary, salmonellosis is one of the most frequent foodborne illnesses. According to our estimation, based on a representative consumer survey with 1001 respondents, the annual number of salmonellosis cases exceeded 90,000, which was 18 times higher than the officially reported data. Salmonellosis infections impose significant direct and indirect costs to the health care system, to companies (as employers) and to households. This study focused on the cost to households by analysing well-being losses due to Salmonella infections, for which the WTP (willingness-to-pay) method was used. WTP measures the cost that an individual would pay to avoid an undesirable harm or health outcome. For estimating WTP, 456 respondents gave quantifiable answers. The average WTP to avoid salmonellosis was 86.3 EUR. Based on this data, the total consumer well-being loss could be estimated to be about 7.87 million EUR per year in Hungary. These results indicate that consumers’ well-being losses alone would necessitate further interventions for Salmonella reduction.

Willingness to Pay for Road Safety Improvements in Poland

Purpose: The article presents the results of empirical research on the application of the WTP method in Poland and VSL for Poland for different road users: pedestrians and drivers. Design/Methodology/Approach: An essential instrument for improving road traffic safety is to identify factors determining the behaviour of road users and their willingness to pay (WTP) for reducing the risk of death or injury. The research was conducted on a representative sample of 1085 people using a conjoint analysis. It was preceded by preliminary research using the bulletin board discussion technique for improving the quality of the measuring instrument. Findings: The research allowed for estimating the Value of a Statistical Life (VSL) and determine the profile of behaviour of protected and unprotected road users. The VSL estimate for Poland does not differ significantly from the values determined for other European and non-European countries, but is lowest. Practical Implications: The study provides in-depth knowledge about the socio-economic profile of road users necessary to improve the effectiveness of educational programs in the field of road safety improvement. Originality/value: The VSL research was conducted with an exclusive, two-stage method of using the bulletin board discussion (BBD) technique and the conjoint analysis based on the WTP method; This study estimated the Value of Statistical Life in terms of road safety for different road users: pedestrians and drivers in Poland.

The Effectiveness City of Balikpapan-Samarinda Route Selection with User Characteristics Analysis, and Toll Tariff Analysis

The cities of Samarinda and Balikpapan are connected by one national road with a lenght time of 3.5 hours along ± 125 km. With narrow road widths, high vehicle volumes result in congestion, delays, and many accidents due to the treacherous road terrain. Then, the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road has started operating in early 2020, with a lenght time of 1.5 hours along ± 99 km. However, not all vehicle users choose the same route, many factors can influence the route selection decision. By distributing questionnaires and route surveys, as well as interviews. Then a statistical test is carried out through the output of the SPSS application, and using multiple regression models to predict trip generation and the factors that influence it. Analyzing toll rates using the ATP and WTP methods, as well as identifying land use along the two Balikpapan-Samarinda routes.The results of the study conclude that route generation on toll roads is influenced by factors of age, income, and reasons for passing the route. Meanwhile, the arterial road is influenced by gender, income, type of vehicle, and reasons for passing the route. Analysis of the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll rate based on the Ability To Pay (ATP) approach for type 1 vehicles of Rp. 99,095 and Willingness to Pay (WTP) for type 1 vehicles of Rp 47,808, for the ideal rate for type 1 vehicles Rp 73,452<Rp 83,500 (currently applicable rates). Also, the identification of the area of land development around the two routes does not have a significant effect on the two Balikpapan-Samarinda routes. Keywords: trip generation, ATP, WTP, land use, and multiple regression.

Willingness to pay for and acceptance of cervical cancer prevention methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The Willingness to pay (WTP) for and acceptance of cervical cancer prevention (CCP) methods have an important role in the control of this type of cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the WTP and acceptance of CCP methods with the contingent valuation method (CVM). Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis study, the required information was collected by searching relevant keywords in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Knowledge, and their Persian equivalent in the Scientific Information Database (SID) and Elmnet databases during January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2020. All studies that reported the WTP and CCP methods with the CVM in English or Persian were included. The reporting quality of studies was assessed by strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE). Comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA: 2) software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. The content analysis method was used for qualitative data analysis. Results: Finally, 28 articles (with 49610 people) were included in the study. Most of the participants were women (35.7%). The HPV vaccine was the most common method of prevention (75%). The overall acceptance rate was 64% and the overall positive WTP rate was 66%. The average WTP was US$30.44, which accounts for about 0.84% of GDP per capita. The most significant effective factors included income, age, education, high-risk sexual behaviors, and awareness of cervical cancer, belief in the risk of cervical cancer, and belief about the effectiveness of prevention methods. The cost was the most important reason for the unwillingness to pay and accept. Conclusion: Results show that the WTP and acceptance rate of CCP methods are relatively high. It is recommended to reduce the cost of prevention methods, especially the HPV vaccine, and to increase awareness and improve the attitude of people. Also, it is recommended to consider other methods of estimation of WTP and other cancers in future studies.

Willingness-to-pay stated preferences in cutaneous lupus erythematosus: a pilot study.

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a chronic skin disease that significantly impacts quality of life (QOL). This study tested a novel method to measure QOL in CLE using willingness-to-pay (WTP) stated preferences, and aimed to determine which of nine domains of life are most affected by CLE. Twenty-one participants with CLE ranked the domains in order of impact on CLE-related QOL, and then stated how many United States dollars they would be willing to pay for a hypothetical cure for each domain. Eighty-one percent of participants were female; mean age was 42.4years. Photosensitivity was ranked highest by 71.4% of respondents. Participants were willing to pay the most for a hypothetical cure for CLE specific to photosensitivity (median = $200,000), the least for a cure specific to self-care (median = $0). Participants were willing to pay a median of $1,000,000 for an overall cure for CLE. Limitations include a smallsample size for this pilot study and thatwillingness-to-pay may be influenced by individual perception of money and socioeconomic factors. This study successfully pilot-tested a WTP method and ranking task for health-related QOL. Photosensitivity was the domain of life most affected by CLE, which is a domain unique to our novel tool.

Estimation of health and economic benefits based on ozone exposure level with high spatial-temporal resolution by fusing satellite and station observations

In recent years, ozone pollution has become more and more serious in China. Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated the correlation between short-term ozone exposure and several health risks including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and respiratory mortality. In this study, the daily ozone exposure levels with 10 km × 10 km resolution were estimated based on satellite data derived from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the monitoring data. The health impacts for potential decrease in the daily ozone concentration and the corresponding economic benefits in 2016 were estimated by applying the environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program-Community Edition (BenMAP-CE) model. By reducing the daily maximum 8-h average concentration of ozone to 100 μg/m3, the estimated avoided all-cause mortalities were 120 × 103 (95% confidence interval (CI): 67 × 103, 160 × 103) cases and the correspondingly economic benefits ranged from 36 to 64 billion CNY using amended human capital (AHC) and willingness to pay (WTP) method in 2016. If the daily maximum 8-h average concentration of ozone were rolled back to 70 μg/m3, the estimated avoided all-cause mortalities were 160 × 103 (95% CI: 98 × 103, 230 × 103) cases and economic benefits ranged from 54 to 95 billion CNY based on AHC and WTP methods.

Comparing the validity of the payment card and structured haggling willingness to pay methods: The case of a diabetes prevention program in rural Kenya

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to compare the theoretical validity of two willingness-to-pay (WTP) methods, the commonly used payment card (PC) and the recently developed structured haggling (SH), for estimating the potential benefits of a diabetes prevention program in rural Kenya. MethodsA convenience sample of adult residents from a rural county in Kenya (Kiambu), with no history of diabetes, was randomly assigned to one of two WTP methods, PC or SH, using structured face-to-face interviews from December 2011 to February 2012. ResultsA total of 376 respondents completed the interviews using PC (n = 185) or SH (n = 191). More than 95% of respondents were willing to pay something for program access. The study showed that both methods were feasible in rural Kenya. SH resulted in a higher annual mean WTP than PC, Ksh504.05 (US$7.25) versus Ksh619.95 (US$5.90), respectively (p < 0.01). Based on theory, it was hypothesized that certain predisposing factors would result in greater WTP. Greater socio-economic status (measured using income proxies) resulted in greater unconditional WTP for both the PC and SH groups (t-tests and bivariate correlations) and conditional WTP (GLM models). GLM for PC showed being male, employed and having distant relatives with diabetes were significant predictors for WTP, while for SH being educated, employed and owning a vehicle were significant predictors. ConclusionBoth PC and SH showed theoretical validity in rural Kenya. However, the use of SH over PC in rural Kenya may be the better choice given that SH more closely mirrors marketplace transactions in this setting and the use of SH resulted in more significant variables in the GLM models.

Green Line Strategy in Mitigating Climate Change: Case Study in Tarakan City, North Kalimantan

Green belt is one of efforts in reducing urban air pollution level by planting trees along the road to absorbing pollutants. The purposes of this study are: (1) to know the Willingness to Pay (WTP) to reduce air pollution in Tarakan city, (2) to identify the factors that affect WTP. Locations of residential yard plantings are located on the roadside at the content exceeding the Threshold Limit Value. WTP method was used in calculating the community's willingness to pay for the planting of vegetation absorbs pollutant. The result of this research is that people are willing to pay (WTP) for IDR.7.325.98. The new prices are obtained by WTP is smaller than the current price set. And from the results of field's collected data there is only one variable that significantly affects the WTP of respondents, is the treatment cost.

Preferences for improvements in attributes associated with basal insulin: a time trade-off and willingness-to-pay survey of a diabetic and non-diabetic population in Sweden

Objective: Apart from improved health outcomes, treatment convenience per se may have a value to individuals. This is sometimes referred to as process utility and can be estimated in terms of willingness-to-pay (WTP) or quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Previous research has produced multiple studies on QALY gains and WTP estimates of insulin-related attributes. There are, however, significant variations between studies, and it is not clear to what extent the value is a reflection of the true preferences or a consequence of the methodological approach. The aim of this study is to estimate the preferences for treatment attributes associated with basal insulin (administration frequency, administration flexibility, and treatment-induced weight gain) using both QALYs—elicited using time trade-off (TTO) and WTP—among a sample of the Swedish general population and among a sample of the Swedish diabetes population.Methods: Data was collected using web-based surveys which were distributed to members of internet panels. The WTP survey presented five hypothetical scenarios with an offer to pay the incremental cost to receive basal insulin with improved attributes. The TTO survey presented six hypothetical scenarios where the respondent could choose between living for the rest of his/her life with diabetes and receiving treatment with a basal insulin with certain attributes or live for a shorter time with full health. The scenarios were combined with either a basal or a basal–bolus treatment regimen. Results from the TTO analysis were translated into monetary estimates using a threshold value of SEK500,000 per QALY.Results: In total, 2012 responses were included. The ratings of the attributes were almost identical, irrespective of method for the general population, while it differed to some extent for the diabetes population. The methods produced the same value for flexibility, but the estimates generated with the TTO approach were higher for one less injection and avoided weight gain. The general population assigned a higher utility gain to convenience attributes, while the diabetes population assigned a higher utility gain to avoiding weight gain.Limitations: About a quarter of the respondents did not accept the scenario in the WTP survey, i.e. protesters.Conclusions: The ranking of the attributes was generally independent of evaluation method, but the TTO method resulted in similar or higher values compared to the WTP method.

Cost Estimation of Road Traffic Injuries Among Iranian Motorcyclists Using the Willingness to Pay Method.

BackgroundMotorcycle riders are amongst some of the most vulnerable road users. The burden of motorcycles injuries from low and middle income countries is under-reported.ObjectivesIn this study, the cost of traffic injuries among motorcyclists was calculated using the willingness to pay (WTP) method in Iran in 2013.Patients and MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, 143 motorcyclists were randomly selected. The research questionnaire was prepared based on the standard WTP method [stated preference (SP), contingent value (CV) and revealed preference (RP) models] taking into consideration perceived risks, especially those in Iran. Data were collected by a scenario for motorcyclists. The criteria for inclusion in the study consisted of having at least a high school education and being in the age range of 18 - 65 years. The final analysis of the WTP data was performed using the Weibull model.ResultsThe mean WTP was 888,110 IRR (Iranian Rial) among motorcyclists. The statistical value of life was estimated according to 4694 death cases as 3,146,225,350,943 IRR, which was equivalent to USD 104,874,178 based on the dollar free market rate of 30,000 IRR (purchasing power parity). The cost of injury was 6,903,839,551,000 IRR, equivalent to USD 230,127,985 (based upon 73,325 injured motorcyclists in 2013, a daily traffic volume of 311, and a daily payment of 12,110 IRR for 250 working days). In total, injury and death cases came to 10,050,094,901,943 IRR, equivalent to USD 335,003,163. Willingness to pay had a significant relationship with having experienced an accident, the length of the daily trip (in km), and helmet use (P < 0.001).ConclusionsWillingness to pay can be affected by experiencing an accident, the distance of the daily trip, and helmet use. The cost of traffic injuries among motorcyclists shows that this rate is much higher than the global average. Thus, expenditure should be made on effective initiatives such as the safety of motorcyclists.

PD17-10 ASSIGNING VALUE TO THE PERSONAL PATIENT PROFILE-PROSTATE DECISION AID: A WILLINGNESS TO PAY ANALYSIS

You have accessJournal of UrologyGeneral & Epidemiological Trends & Socioeconomics: Practice Patterns, Quality of Life and Shared Decision Making II1 Apr 2016PD17-10 ASSIGNING VALUE TO THE PERSONAL PATIENT PROFILE-PROSTATE DECISION AID: A WILLINGNESS TO PAY ANALYSIS Donna Berry, Traci Blonquist, Leslie Wilson, Barbara Halpenny, and Fangxin Hong Donna BerryDonna Berry More articles by this author , Traci BlonquistTraci Blonquist More articles by this author , Leslie WilsonLeslie Wilson More articles by this author , Barbara HalpennyBarbara Halpenny More articles by this author , and Fangxin HongFangxin Hong More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2016.02.1175AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Use of a decision aid may be a reasonable step within the clinical decision making process, perhaps as valuable to patients as a preliminary consultation session with a clinician (Medicare rate for 20 minute visit=$75). The benefit of decision making aids can be valued in monetary terms using the willingness to pay (WTP) approach. The objective of this analysis was to estimate patients' WTP for the Personal Patient Profile-Prostate (P3P), a Web-based decision support system that has been shown to decrease decisional conflict in men newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. METHODS A bidding questionnaire format, delivered by telephone one week after the P3P-prepared options consultation, was employed to elicit WTP in a sample of men from geographically diverse research sites. Participants were randomly assigned to a high or low WTP starting value (SV), which triggered assessment higher or lower WTP amounts until their maximum value was reached. Linear models were used to explore the univariate association between SV-adjusted WTP and baseline characteristics including age, education, marital and work status, income, insurance, decision control preference level and decision-making stage. Backwards elimination and stepwise selection methods with 0.25 entry significance and 0.1 to remain in the model were used in multivariable model building. Possible two-way interactions were checked and type III p-values were used to assess overall significance in all models. RESULTS 134 participants were offered the P3P; 117 provided a WTP dollar amount. The overall WTP was $80.22 (95% CI $57.25-$103.18); $61.67 (95% CI $30.64-$92.70) and $101.85 (95% CI $68.34-$135.37) for low and high SV, respectively. Adjusting for SV, participants who are not married/partnered (p=0.003) and/or with low income (p=0.001) reported significantly higher WTP. The final multivariable model consisted of SV, age, and income. All three two-way interactions were marginally significant: SV*age (p=0.07), income*age (p=0.08) and SV*income (p=0.06) CONCLUSIONS Participants were able to use the WTP method and valued the P3P decision aid slightly more than the value of a 20 minute office consult. P3P may be an important preliminary step to prepare men with localized prostate cancer for consult visits and decision making. The finding that lower household income was associated with higher WTP suggests unexpected and complex relationships between income and health care spending. © 2016FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 195Issue 4SApril 2016Page: e402 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2016MetricsAuthor Information Donna Berry More articles by this author Traci Blonquist More articles by this author Leslie Wilson More articles by this author Barbara Halpenny More articles by this author Fangxin Hong More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Factors affecting patient valuations of caries prevention: Using and validating the willingness to pay method

ObjectivesDetermining the value of, or strength of preference for health care interventions is useful for policy makers in planning health care services. Willingness to pay (WTP) is an established economic technique to determine the strength of preferences for interventions by eliciting monetary valuations from individuals in hypothetical situations. The objective of this study was to elicit WTP values for a dental preventive intervention and to analyze the factors affecting these as well as investigating the validity of the WTP method. MethodsPatients aged 40 years plus attending dental practices in the UK and Germany were recruited on a consecutive basis over one month. Participants received information about a novel root caries prevention intervention. They then completed a questionnaire including a WTP task. Where the coating was indicated, patients were offered this for a payment and acceptance was recorded. Analysis included econometric modelling and comparison of expected (based on stated WTP) versus actual behaviour. ResultsThe mean WTP for the coating was £96.41 (standard deviation 60.61). Econometric models showed that no demographic or dental history factors were significant predictors of WTP. 63% of the sample behaved as expected when using stated WTP to predict whether they would buy the coating. The remainder were split almost equally between those expected to pay but who did not and those who were expected to refuse but paid. ConclusionsValues for a caries preventive intervention had a large and unpredictable variance. In comparing hypothetical versus real preferences both under- and over-valuation occurs. Clinical significanceWide and unpredictable variation in valuations for prevention may mean that there are difficult policy questions around what resource should be allocated to dental prevention and how to target this resource.

Willingness to Pay for Surabaya Mass Rapid Transit (SMART) Options

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is modern public transportation modes has been adopted in some the big cities. Many experts believe that MRT mode can reduce congestion, improve quality of life by pollution reductions and reduce fuel consumptions for private vehicles. Understanding the willingness to pay (WTP) for several design options for MRT is essential to be conducted for decision maker of MRT projects including the Surabaya Mass Rapid Transportation (SMART) project that will be built in Surabaya City-Indonesia on 2016. The objective of this research is a measuring the willingness to pay (WTP) for SMART options that consists Surotrem (tram mode) and Boyorail (MRT mode) in order support design attributes of Surotrem and Boyorail project. Willingness to pay (WTP) method using Random Utility Model (RUM) model is used to measure and analysis three options of SMART project. The model is calibrated by the collected data from direct surveys to 264 respondents at 31 regions in Surabaya City. Some findings of this study were reached by WTP method and statistical analysis. Firstly, Surabaya's people more prefer to choice transportation options for Boyorial and Surotrem that have more flexible attributes than the assumed based attributes. Secondly, the SMART project manager should pay attention for some transportation attributes such as inter-arrival operation hours for Surotrem. Finally, most of respondents more prefer to select transportation option 1 than option 2 and 3 for Surotrem and Boyorail.

What Explains Willingness to Pay for Smoking-Cessation Treatments —Addiction Level, Quit-Rate Effectiveness or the Opening Bid?

Several countries have now passed laws that place limitations on where smokers may smoke. A range of smoking-cessation treatments have become available, many of which have documented increased quit rates. Population surveys show that most smokers wish to quit, and most non-smokers would prefer to reduce the prevalence of smoking in society. The strengths of these preferences, however, as measured by their willingness to pay (WTP), have not yet been investigated. This study aims to identify variables that explain variations in people's answers to WTP questions on smoking-cessation treatments. A representative sample of the Norwegian population was asked their WTP in terms of an earmarked contribution to a public smoking-cessation programme. A sub-group of daily smokers was, in addition, asked about their WTP for a hypothetical treatment that would remove their urge to smoke. The impact of variation in the question format (different opening bids) on stated WTP was compared with that of factors suggested by economic theory, such as quit-rate effectiveness, degree of addiction as measured by the 12-item Cigarette Dependence Scale (CDS-12), and degree of peer group influence as measured by the proportion of one's friends who smoke. In both programmes, the most important determinant for explaining variations in WTP was the size of the opening bid. Differences in quit-rate effectiveness did not matter for people's WTP for the smoking-cessation programme. Addiction, and having a small proportion of friends who smoke, were positively associated with smokers' WTP to quit smoking. Variations in WTP were influenced more by how the question was framed in terms of differences in opening bids, than by variables reflecting the quality (effectiveness) and need (addiction level) for the good in question. While the WTP method is theoretically attractive, the findings that outcomes in terms of different quit rates did not affect WTP, and that WTP answers can be manipulated by the chosen opening bid, should raise further doubts on the ability of this method to provide valid and reliable answers that reflect true preferences for health and healthcare.

PDB81 Value of a Diabetes Prevention Program in Rural Kenya: Comparing Payment Card and Structured Haggling Willingness to Pay Methods

Diabetes is a preventable disease with prevalence in Kenya considered on par with Western countries. Diabetes prevention and care is especially important in nonwestern countries because of the high costs and health burden associated with the acute care model of treatment, however it is unknown how rural residents will perceive such a program. Study objective was to value a diabetes prevention program (education, screening and referral) by comparing two willingness to pay (WTP) techniques in rural Kenya: the commonly used payment card (PC) and the recently developed structured haggling (SH), considered more consistent with Sub-Sahara African culture. Convenience sample of adult residents from a rural county in Kenya (Kiambu) were randomized to one of two WTP techniques, SH (Onwujekwe 2004) and PC. Program benefits (WTP data) were collected via individual face-to-face interviews. Ex-ante approach was used assuming: societal perspective, 5 year project life, and 3% discount rate. WTP data was collected from 158 rural residents (70% male, 2.5% diabetic, 11% own a vehicle and mean monthly expenditures of Ksh10,933 (US2011$ 127.12). Annual mean (SEM) WTP for the prevention program was Ksh628.75 [US2011$7.30] (70.98) for PC and Ksh 683.97 [US2011$7.95] (45.52) for SH per respondent per year, p=.516. Bids ranged from Ksh 0 to 5000. Assuming the program benefits 4800 rural adults, the program WTP is estimated at a mean of Ksh 14,420,838 (US2011$167,684). Diabetes prevention program have been shown to be effective in other countries. In the present study rural Kenyan residents did value a diabetes prevention program favorably. This is the first published study comparing PC and SH, however no statistical difference was perceived between the two WTP methods. As part of a larger study the benefits and costs will be compared to estimate the net societal benefit of the prevention program in rural Kenya.

Measuring melasma patients' quality of life using willingness to pay and time trade-off methods in thai population

BackgroundMelasma is a common hyperpigmentation disorder that has a significant effect on an individual's quality of life. However, there is no preference-based measurement that reflects quality of life in patients with melasma. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of melasma on quality of life by using a health status measurement - the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) - and a preference-based measurement - Willingness to Pay (WTP) and Time Trade-Off (TTO).MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Seventy-eight patients with melasma who attended the melasma clinic at Siriraj Hospital from February to March 2009 were recruited in this study. The Thai version of the DLQI, questionnaires about WTP, standard TTO, and daily TTO were used to assess patients' quality of life.ResultsSeventy-seven (98.7%) patients were female with a mean age of 47.8 ± 7.9 years. The mean health utility based on standard TTO was 0.96. The utility obtained by the daily TTO method was 0.92 and was significantly correlated with an economically inactive occupation (p < 0.05). The mean monthly WTP for the most effective treatment was 1,157 baht (7.2% of monthly income), ranging from 100 to 5,000 baht (1 USD ~ 35.1 baht). The WTP was significantly correlated with monthly personal income and the total DLQI score.ConclusionThe WTP method could be a useful tool with which to measure the quality of life of patients with melasma.

Life Cycle Assessment of EI of Masonry Materials

The wide usages of masonry materials in construction are always accompanied by great consumptions of energy and resource during their life cycle, so it is necessary to evaluate the EI of masonry materials objectively. This paper uses BEPAS, an LCA-based quantitative EI assessment system developed based on our previous studies, to assess the life cycle EI of three kinds of common used masonry materials: autoclaved flyash brick, sintered clay brick and aerated concrete block. Starting with establishing the environmental profiles at the producing, constructing and demolishing phases of these three materials respectively, the environmental impacts are categorized into three safeguard subjects: ecosystem damage, resources depletion and health damage. Then, based on WTP (willingness-to-pay) method and the updated monetization weighting factors, one integrated EI value per functional unit (10m3) of masonry partition wall is obtained. Finally, a comparative study is conducted on the EI values to analyze and compare the life cycle environmental performance of the three materials, resulting that autoclaved flyash brick is the most environmental friendly in a sharp contrast to sintered clay brick. Results also indicate that reusing more wastes, as well as reducing weight and increasing the volume of unit block are the most effective measures to improve the environmental performance for masonry materials.

Willingness to pay for improvement of physical function among rheumatoid arthritis patients as measured by Health Assessment Questionnaire

The main objective of this study was to assess the symptoms and functional difficulties caused by rheumatoid arthritis through application of the willingness to pay (WTP) method. Structured questionnaire study was conducted among 242 RA patients. The subjects were asked to evaluate their functional capacity using visual analog scales (VAS) for all the 20 questions in the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Each VAS was followed by a question asking how much the respondent would be willing to pay on a monthly basis for a 50% improvement with the function in question. These were combined with later collected data on clinical status and use of RA-related health services. The average WTP varied greatly in the examined 20 different functions. The total WTP average on a 50% improved functional capacity amounted to <euro> 567.05 per month. Patients with lower functional capacity (HAQ 1.2 or more) were ready to contribute significantly (p<0.001) more (705euros/month) than those with better functional status (199euros/month). Subjects, whose financial standing was better, reported a higher total WTP (r=0.218, p<0.01). On average, the total WTP of the respondents equaled 18.44% of the disposable net monthly income per person of the household. However, the variation was quite substantial. WTP among patients with rheumatoid arthritis was best depicted through the functional capacity of the patient, the possible time the patient had retired, and the global feeling of pain. In conclusion, monetary value is a concrete way of portraying subjective valuation. WTP method is suitable for assessing functional deficits of rheumatoid arthritis.

The willingness to pay for dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus) restocking: using recreational linefishing licence fees to fund stock enhancement in South Africa

Abstract Palmer, R. M., and Snowball, J. D. 2009. The willingness to pay for dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus) restocking: using recreational linefishing licence fees to fund stock enhancement in South Africa. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 839–843. The economic feasibility of stock enhancement of Argyrosomus japonicus in South Africa was investigated using a willingness-to-pay (WTP) survey. The pilot study provides a unique example of the use of the contingent valuation method as a valuation tool for a proposed stock enhancement programme. An increase in the cost of a recreational fishing permit is used as a potential vehicle of payment. The median value of the maximum that fishers were willing to pay for a recreational fishing permit was R155 (South African Rand) for frequent fishers and R100 for non-frequent fishers. Analysis showed that a fee of more than R100 excluded up to 50% of anglers from the fishery, but that a fee of R100 excluded only 28% of recreational anglers and would generate an additional R12 million annually from the sale of recreational fishing permits. The estimated costs of set-up and running of a stock enhancement programme are substantially lower than this, suggesting that stock enhancement may be an economically feasible management option that deserves more investigation. The WTP method itself produces robust results and is likely to be an effective tool in the management of the marine environment.