To conduct a comprehensive economic evaluation of the DECIDE-Children intervention from a societal perspective, assessing its potential for scale-up to combat childhood obesity, focusing on its effectiveness and cost implications.
Key Findings:
The intervention resulted in a mean between-group difference in BMI of -0.46 kg/m2 (95% CI -0.67 to -0.25) and a significantly lower odds of obesity (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.64).
The use of a mobile application enhanced parental engagement and may improve scalability and reduce costs.
Interpretation:
The DECIDE-Children intervention is effective in reducing childhood obesity and has the potential for broader implementation, but its economic feasibility needs further exploration, particularly regarding long-term sustainability.
Limitations:
Limited studies on economic evaluations of childhood obesity interventions.
Potential variability in implementation costs across different regions.
Potential biases in self-reported data from parents.
Conclusion:
The DECIDE-Children intervention demonstrates significant health benefits and warrants further investigation into its cost-effectiveness for widespread adoption in addressing childhood obesity.
