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Xiong X, Carvalho N, Huang L, Chen G, Jones R, Devlin N, Mulhern B, Dalziel K. Psychometric Properties of Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D) Proxy Version Administered to Parents and Caregivers of Children Aged 2-4 Years Compared with Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL). PHARMACOECONOMICS 2024; 42:147-161. [PMID: 38280126 PMCID: PMC11169045 DOI: 10.1007/s40273-024-01355-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examines the psychometric properties of the Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D) proxy version administered to parents/caregivers of 2-4-year-old Australian children compared with Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ version 4.0 (PedsQL). METHODS Data collected in 2021/2022 from parents/caregivers of 2-4-year-olds from the Australian pediatric multi-instrument comparison study were used. Feasibility, ceiling/floor effects, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, known-group validity, and responsiveness were assessed. RESULTS A total of 842 caregivers completed the survey at baseline, with 513 completing the follow-up survey. The CHU9D did not demonstrate ceiling effects in the sample with special health care needs, with only 6% of respondents reporting best levels for all nine dimensions. CHU9D correlated with PedsQL moderately-to-strongly between comparable items (correlation coefficients 0.34-0.70). CHU9D was able to differentiate between groups with known health differences with moderate-to-large effect sizes (Cohen's d 0.58-2.03). Moderate test-retest reliability was found for CHU9D in those reporting no health change at a 2-day follow-up (ICC 0.52). A standard response mean (SRM) of 0.25-0.44 was found for children with changes in general health and a SRM of 0.72-0.82 for children who reported worsened health when developing new illnesses, indicating small-to-large responsiveness according to different definitions of health changes. Compared with PedsQL, CHU9D had similar known-group validity and responsiveness and slightly poorer test-retest reliability. CONCLUSION The CHU9D was found to be valid and reliable to measure health-related quality-of-life in children aged 2-4 years, although with relatively low test-retest reliability in some dimensions. Further development and validation work is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuqin Xiong
- Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Natalie Carvalho
- Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Li Huang
- Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Gang Chen
- Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Renee Jones
- Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Nancy Devlin
- Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Brendan Mulhern
- Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Kim Dalziel
- Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Tian J, Blizzard L, Campbell JA, Gall S, Dwyer T, Venn A. Association of body mass index from childhood to mid-adulthood with health-related quality of life in mid-adulthood. Qual Life Res 2023; 32:3349-3358. [PMID: 37668925 PMCID: PMC10624736 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-023-03497-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Most studies regarding the association of obesity with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have assessed obesity at only one or two time points. We aimed to examine the associations of life course body mass index (BMI) from childhood with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in mid-adulthood. METHODS Data were from a cohort study of Australian children (n = 2254, mean baseline age 12.0 (2.0) years in 1985, 46.8% male). Weight and height were measured at baseline and measured or self-reported on average 20, 25, and 30 years later. Age and sex-standardised BMI-z score was calculated at each time point. Physical and mental HRQoL and health state utilities (HSUs) were measured by SF-12 and SF-6D at the last adult follow-up. Linear regression was used to examine the associations adjusting for age, sex, and childhood health status. RESULTS Higher BMI-z score in childhood (βadjusted - 1.39, 95% CI - 1.73 to - 1.05) and increasing BMI-z score from childhood to young adulthood (βadjusted - 1.82, 95% CI - 2.17 to - 1.46) and from young to mid-adulthood (βadjusted - 1.77, 95% CI - 2.28 to - 1.26) were associated with lower physical HRQoL in mid-adulthood. Similar results were found for mid-adulthood HSUs (βadjusted ranged - 0.006 to - 0.014, all P < 0.05). Only increasing BMI-z score from young to mid-adulthood significantly related to poorer mental HRQoL (βadjusted - 0.74, 95% CI - 1.29 to - 0.19) in mid-adulthood. CONCLUSION High BMI from childhood to mid-adulthood had only modest associations with HRQoL and HSUs, with effects on physical HRQoL most apparent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Tian
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.
| | - Leigh Blizzard
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Julie A Campbell
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Seana Gall
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Terence Dwyer
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of Oxford, Wellington Square, Oxford, UK
| | - Alison Venn
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
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Hayes A, Raghunandan R, Killedar A, Smith S, Cvejic E, Howell M, Petrou S, Lancsar E, Wong G, Craig J, Howard K. Reliability, acceptability, validity and responsiveness of the CHU9D and PedsQL in the measurement of quality of life in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. Int J Obes (Lond) 2023:10.1038/s41366-023-01305-5. [PMID: 37072461 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-023-01305-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Paediatric Quality of life Inventory (PedsQLTM) Generic Core Scales and the Child Health Utilities 9 Dimensions (CHU9D) are two paediatric health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures commonly used in overweight and obesity research. However, no studies have comprehensively established the psychometric properties of these instruments in the context of paediatric overweight and obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability, acceptability, validity and responsiveness of the PedsQL and the CHU9D in the measurement of HRQoL among children and adolescents living with overweight and obesity. SUBJECTS/METHODS Subjects were 6544 child participants of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, with up to 3 repeated measures of PedsQL and CHU9D and aged between 10 and 17 years. Weight and height were measured objectively by trained operators, and weight status determined using World Health Organisation growth standards. We examined reliability, acceptability, known group and convergent validity and responsiveness, using recognised methods. RESULTS Both PedsQL and CHU9D demonstrated good internal consistency reliability, and high acceptability. Neither instrument showed strong convergent validity, but PedsQL appears to be superior to the CHU9D in known groups validity and responsiveness. Compared with healthy weight, mean (95%CI) differences in PedsQL scores for children with obesity were: boys -5.6 (-6.2, -4.4); girls -6.7 (-8.1, -5.4) and differences in CHU9D utility were: boys -0.02 (-0.034, -0.006); girls -0.035 (-0.054, -0.015). Differences in scores for overweight compared with healthy weight were: PedsQL boys -2.2 (-3.0, -1.4) and girls -1.3 (-2.0, -0.6) and CHU9D boys: no significant difference; girls -0.014 (-0.026, -0.003). CONCLUSION PedsQL and CHU9D overall demonstrated good psychometric properties, supporting their use in measuring HRQoL in paediatric overweight and obesity. CHU9D had poorer responsiveness and did not discriminate between overweight and healthy weight in boys, which may limit its use in economic evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Hayes
- University of Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Rakhee Raghunandan
- University of Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anagha Killedar
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sarah Smith
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Erin Cvejic
- University of Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Martin Howell
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stavros Petrou
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Emily Lancsar
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Australia National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Germaine Wong
- University of Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jonathan Craig
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kirsten Howard
- University of Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Kelly CB, Soley-Bori M, Lingam R, Forman J, Cecil L, Newham J, Wolfe I, Fox-Rushby J. Mapping PedsQL™ scores to CHU9D utility weights for children with chronic conditions in a multi-ethnic and deprived metropolitan population. Qual Life Res 2023:10.1007/s11136-023-03359-4. [PMID: 36814010 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-023-03359-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The Child Health Utility-9 Dimensions (CHU9D) is a patient-reported outcome measure to generate Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), recommended for economic evaluations of interventions to inform funding decisions. When the CHU9D is not available, mapping algorithms offer an opportunity to convert other paediatric instruments, such as the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL), onto the CHU9D scores. This study aims to validate current PedsQL to CHU9D mappings in a sample of children and young people of a wide age range (0 to 16 years of age) and with chronic conditions. New algorithms with improved predictive accuracy are also developed. METHODS Data from the Children and Young People's Health Partnership (CYPHP) were used (N = 1735). Four regression models were estimated: ordinal least squared, generalized linear model, beta-binomial and censored least absolute deviations. Standard goodness of fit measures were used for validation and to assess new algorithms. RESULTS While previous algorithms perform well, performance can be enhanced. OLS was the best estimation method for the final equations at the total, dimension and item PedsQL scores levels. The CYPHP mapping algorithms include age as an important predictor and more non-linear terms compared with previous work. CONCLUSION The new CYPHP mappings are particularly relevant for samples with children and young people with chronic conditions living in deprived and urban settings. Further validation in an external sample is required. Trial registration number NCT03461848; pre-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare B Kelly
- Institute for Women and Children's Health, King's Health Partners, London, UK
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marina Soley-Bori
- Institute for Women and Children's Health, King's Health Partners, London, UK.
- Department of Population Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, School of Life Course & Population Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Campus, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
| | - Raghu Lingam
- School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Julia Forman
- Institute for Women and Children's Health, King's Health Partners, London, UK
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lizzie Cecil
- Institute for Women and Children's Health, King's Health Partners, London, UK
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - James Newham
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ingrid Wolfe
- Institute for Women and Children's Health, King's Health Partners, London, UK
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Julia Fox-Rushby
- Department of Population Health, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
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Tan RLY, Soh SZY, Chen LA, Herdman M, Luo N. Psychometric Properties of Generic Preference-Weighted Measures for Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. PHARMACOECONOMICS 2023; 41:155-174. [PMID: 36404365 DOI: 10.1007/s40273-022-01205-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preference-weighted measures (PWMs)-also referred to as preference-based measures in the literature-of health status/health-related quality of life plays an essential role in estimating quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) for use in economic evaluations of healthcare products and interventions. However, as PWMs are first and foremost intended to accurately reflect respondent health status, they should ideally demonstrate good psychometric properties for the population in question. This study aimed to systematically review published evidence on the measurement properties of commonly used PWMs for children and adolescents. METHODS Three electronic databases (PubMed, Medline, and PsycINFO) were searched for articles assessing the psychometric properties (content validity, construct validity-including convergent validity and known-group validity, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness) of the PWMs of interest (AQoL-6D, CHU9D, HUI2, HUI3, and EQ-5D-Y). The COsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments methodology (COSMIN) guidelines were used to assess (a) the methodological quality of the studies included and (b) the psychometric performance of the instruments covered. Data were analysed overall as well as by population (country and disease group) and perspective (self-report or proxy-report). The study protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (CRD42021277296). RESULTS In total, 53 articles were included in this systematic review. Health Utilities Index (HUI) was tested only in patient populations, CHU9D was most frequently tested in general population samples, while EQ-5D-Y was tested in both populations. Overall, there was high-quality evidence supporting sufficient construct validity for all instruments except AQoL-6D. Evidence supporting test-retest and responsiveness was scarce. There was high-quality evidence supporting sufficient responsiveness of HUI2 and HUI3, and inconsistent test-retest reliability of CHU9D and EQ-5D-Y. Evidence for content validity was minimal and therefore not extracted and synthesized for any PWMs. CONCLUSION This review provides updated evidence on the measurement properties of existing generic PWMs for children and adolescents. High-quality evidence for all relevant psychometric properties and across a range of populations was not available for any of the instruments included, indicating that further work is needed in this direction. This study has identified some of the most noticeable evidence gaps for each of the individual measures. Users can use this information to guide their decision on the choice of PWM to administer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Lee-Yin Tan
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Sonia Zhi Yi Soh
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Le Ann Chen
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore
| | - Michael Herdman
- Office of Health Economics, 105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT, UK
| | - Nan Luo
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore.
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Engel L, Majmudar I, Mihalopoulos C, Tollit MA, Pang KC. Assessment of Quality of Life of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents in Melbourne, Australia, 2017-2020. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2254292. [PMID: 36729456 PMCID: PMC9896293 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.54292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) children and adolescents may experience not only gender dysphoria but also depression and anxiety, all of which are likely to be associated with reduced quality of life (QOL). Despite this, little is known about QOL in this population. OBJECTIVES To identify demographic, social, and clinical characteristics associated with reduced QOL in TGD children and adolescents; compare their QOL with age-matched population-based norms and that of young people with common mental health problems; and evaluate the association between gender dysphoria and QOL. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this cohort study, baseline data were derived from questionnaires completed in a prospective cohort study (Trans20) of TGD children aged 6 to 12 years and adolescents aged 13 to 17 years first seen at the Royal Children's Hospital Gender Service (Melbourne, Australia) between February 2017 and February 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The main outcome was QOL, measured using the Child Health Utility 9D instrument (CHU-9D). Data collection included demographic information, social factors (eg, bullying, lack of support, and social transition), and clinical characteristics (eg, gender identity, gender dysphoria, and mental health difficulties). Population norms and CHU-9D data for Australian youths with mental health diagnoses were derived from published literature. RESULTS The TGD cohort comprised 525 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years (median age, 14 years [IQR, 12-16 years]; 364 [69.33%] presumed female at birth). The mean (SD) CHU-9D score was 0.46 (0.26). Compared with population norms, TGD children (0.58 [0.27] vs 0.81 [0.16]; P < .001) and adolescents (0.41 [0.25] vs 0.80 [0.14]; P < .001) had significantly lower scores. Within the TGD cohort, mean (SD) scores were significantly lower in adolescents (0.41 [0.24] vs 0.62 [0.25]; P < .001), those assigned female at birth (0.43 [0.26] vs 0.55 [0.25]; P < .001), those reporting mental health problems (0.37 [0.23] vs 0.57 [0.25]; P < .001) and physical health problems (0.41 [0.26] vs 0.48 [0.26]; P = .04), and those who were bullied (0.38 [0.24] vs 0.52 [0.25]; P < .001). Gender dysphoria alone was associated with a lower mean (SD) CHU-9D score (0.51 [0.23]) than that in control adolescents with serious mental health conditions such as depression (0.64 [0.26]) and anxiety (0.70 [0.24]) and was an independent factor associated with QOL. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study of TGD children and adolescents in Australia, QOL was worse in this population than in age-matched, population-based peers. Quality of life associated with gender dysphoria was substantially worse than that seen in young people with common mental health conditions. These findings emphasize the risk of poor QOL among TGD young people and the need to better support them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Engel
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ishani Majmudar
- Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cathrine Mihalopoulos
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michelle A. Tollit
- The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ken C. Pang
- The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Onyimadu O, Violato M, Astbury NM, Jebb SA, Petrou S. Health Economic Aspects of Childhood Excess Weight: A Structured Review. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:461. [PMID: 35455505 PMCID: PMC9028108 DOI: 10.3390/children9040461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An economic perspective is crucial to understand the broad consequences of childhood excess weight (CEW). These can manifest in the form of elevated health care and societal costs, impaired health status, or inefficiencies in the allocation of resources targeted at its prevention, management, or treatment. Although existing systematic reviews provide summaries of distinct economic research strands covering CEW, they have a restricted focus that overlooks relevant evidence. The overarching aim of this structured review was to update and enhance recent key reviews of four strands of economic evidence in this area, namely, (1) economic costs associated with CEW, (2) health utilities associated with CEW, (3) economic evaluations of interventions targeting CEW, and (4) economic determinants and broader consequences of CEW. Our de novo searches identified six additional studies for the first research strand, five studies for the second, thirty-one for the third, and two for the fourth. Most studies were conducted in a small number of high-income countries. Our review highlights knowledge gaps across all the research strands. Evidence from this structured review can act as data input into future economic evaluations in this area and highlights areas where future economic research should be targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olu Onyimadu
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK; (O.O.); (N.M.A.); (S.A.J.)
| | - Mara Violato
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK;
| | - Nerys M. Astbury
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK; (O.O.); (N.M.A.); (S.A.J.)
| | - Susan A. Jebb
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK; (O.O.); (N.M.A.); (S.A.J.)
| | - Stavros Petrou
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK; (O.O.); (N.M.A.); (S.A.J.)
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Zanganeh M, Adab P, Li B, Pallan M, Liu WJ, Rong L, Liu W, Martin J, Cheng KK, Frew E. Relationship Between Weight Status and Health-Related Quality of Life in School-age Children in China. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2022; 9:75-81. [PMID: 35342771 PMCID: PMC8901243 DOI: 10.36469/jheor.2022.32414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Background: Some studies from high-income countries suggest that overweight and/or obesity in children are negatively associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, the relationship between weight status and HRQOL is not well established in China, where obesity trends follow a different pattern compared with high-income countries. The risk of obesity is greater in children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and higher in boys compared with girls. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between weight status and HRQOL in children between 6 and 7 years old in this unique country context. Methods: Baseline HRQOL and demographic data were collected from children recruited to the CHIRPY DRAGON obesity prevention trial in China. HRQOL was measured using the Chinese version of the Child Health Utility-9D (CHU-9D-CHN) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) instruments. CHU-9D-CHN utility scores were generated using 2 scoring algorithms (UK and Chinese tariffs). Height and weight measures were taken at school by trained researchers using standardized methods, and BMI z scores were calculated using the World Health Organization 2007 growth charts. The relationship between HRQOL and weight status was examined using multivariable analyses, adjusting for age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Results: Full data were available for 1539 children (mean age, 6 years). In both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, HRQOL, using both the CHU-9D-CHN and the PedsQL™, was marginally higher in children who were overweight or living with obesity compared with children with healthy weight, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Separate analyses and models by gender showed that the relationship between weight status and HRQOL scores was similar in boys and girls. Conclusions: Our results suggest no statistically significant difference in HRQOL between children with overweight/obesity compared with those with healthy weight. These results have implications for the methods of economic evaluation for obesity treatment and prevention interventions within this population cohort and country setting, as there appears to be no discernible consequences on children's HRQOL from living with overweight and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandana Zanganeh
- Centre for Health Economics, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
| | - Peymané Adab
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham
| | - Bai Li
- Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol
| | - Miranda Pallan
- Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
| | - Wei J Liu
- School Health Unit, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Rong
- School Health Unit, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Liu
- School Health Unit, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - James Martin
- Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
| | - Kar K Cheng
- Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
| | - Emma Frew
- Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
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Palacios-Cartagena RP, Pastor-Cisneros R, Adsuar JC, Pérez-Gómez J, García-Gordillo MÁ, Mendoza-Muñoz M. CHU9D Normative Data in Peruvian Adolescents. J Pers Med 2021; 11:1272. [PMID: 34945744 PMCID: PMC8704949 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11121272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the vulnerability to protective and risk factors during adolescence, there is a growing interest in the study of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at this stage. The CHU9D is a generic and practical HRQoL instrument that provides values on all dimensions of self-perceived health, in addition to providing utilities and a cost-utility assessment fee, unlike other instruments. This study was conducted with an adolescent population in Peru. The main objective of this article is to report the normative values of the CHU9D questionnaire in Peruvian adolescents. METHODS The CHU9D questionnaire was administered to Peruvian adolescent students. A total of 1229 young people participated in the survey. The CHU9D score was reflected as a function of gender, age, weight, height, and educational level. RESULTS The mean CHU9D utility index for the total sample was 0.890; this rating was significantly better for boys with 0.887 and girls with 0.867. The ceiling effect was higher for male adolescents with 32.6 than for female adolescents. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study show that adolescents in school show a positive perception of HRQoL. It is also concluded that the CHU9D instrument can be effectively applied to economic evaluations for interventions to improve the quality of life of adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Paola Palacios-Cartagena
- Promoting a Healthy Society Research Group (PHeSO), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (R.P.P.-C.); (J.C.A.); (M.M.-M.)
| | - Raquel Pastor-Cisneros
- Promoting a Healthy Society Research Group (PHeSO), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (R.P.P.-C.); (J.C.A.); (M.M.-M.)
| | - Jose Carmelo Adsuar
- Promoting a Healthy Society Research Group (PHeSO), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (R.P.P.-C.); (J.C.A.); (M.M.-M.)
| | - Jorge Pérez-Gómez
- Health, Economy, Motricity and Education Research Group (HEME), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain;
| | | | - María Mendoza-Muñoz
- Promoting a Healthy Society Research Group (PHeSO), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain; (R.P.P.-C.); (J.C.A.); (M.M.-M.)
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10
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Soley-Bori M, Lingam R, Satherley RM, Forman J, Cecil L, Fox-Rushby J, Wolfe I. Children and Young People's Health Partnership Evelina London Model of Care: economic evaluation protocol of a complex system change. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e047085. [PMID: 34819278 PMCID: PMC8614147 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Children and Young People's Health Partnership (CYPHP) Evelina London Model of Care is a new approach to integrated care delivery for children and young people (CYP) with common health complaints and chronic conditions. CYPHP includes population health management (services shaped by data-driven understanding of population and individual needs, applied in this case to enable proactive case finding and tailored biopsychosocial care), specialist clinics with multidisciplinary health teams and training resources for professionals working with CYP. This complex health system strengthening programme has been implemented in South London since April 2018 and will be evaluated using a cluster randomised controlled trial with an embedded process evaluation. This protocol describes the within-trial and beyond-trial economic evaluation of CYPHP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The economic evaluation will identify, measure and value resources and health outcome impacts of CYPHP compared with enhanced usual care from a National Health Service/Personal Social Service and a broader societal perspective. The study population includes 90 000 CYP under 16 years of age in 23 clusters (groups of general practitioner (GP) practices) to assess health service use and costs, with more detailed cost-effectiveness analysis of a targeted sample of 2138 CYP with asthma, eczema or constipation (tracer conditions). For the cost-effectiveness analysis, health outcomes will be measured using the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) using the Child Health Utility 9 Dimensions (CHU-9D) measure. To account for changes in parental well-being, the Warwick-Edinburg Mental Well-being Scale will be integrated with QALYs in a cost-benefit analysis. The within-trial economic evaluation will be complemented by a novel long-term model that expands the analytical horizon to 10 years. Analyses will adhere to good practice guidelines and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence public health reference case. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study has received ethical approval from South West-Cornwall and Plymouth Research Ethics Committee (REC Reference: 17/SW/0275). Results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, made available in briefing papers for local decision-makers, and provided to the local community through website and public events. Findings will be generalisable to community-based models of care, especially in urban settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03461848.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Soley-Bori
- Department of Population Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Raghu Lingam
- School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Faculty of Medicine, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Julia Forman
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lizzie Cecil
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Julia Fox-Rushby
- Population Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and Saint Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College, London, UK
| | - Ingrid Wolfe
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
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11
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Zanganeh M, Adab P, Li B, Pallan M, Liu WJ, Hemming K, Lin R, Liu W, Martin J, Cheng KK, Frew E. Cost-Effectiveness of a School-and Family-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme in China: The "CHIRPY DRAGON" Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial. Int J Public Health 2021; 66:1604025. [PMID: 34531712 PMCID: PMC8439195 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2021.1604025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Rapid socioeconomic and nutrition transitions in Chinese populations have contributed to the growth in childhood obesity. This study presents a cost-effectiveness analysis of a school- and family-based childhood obesity prevention programme in China. Methods: A trial-based economic evaluation assessed cost-effectiveness at 12 months. Forty schools with 1,641 children were randomised to either receive the multi-component (diet and physical activity) intervention or to continue with usual activities. Both public sector and societal perspectives were adopted. Costs and benefits in the form of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were compared and uncertainty was assessed using established UK and US thresholds. Results: The intervention cost was 35.53 Yuan (£7.04/US$10.01) per child from a public sector perspective and 536.95 Yuan (£106/US$151) from a societal perspective. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was 272.7 Yuan (£54/US$77)/BMI z-score change. The ICER was 8,888 Yuan (£1,760/US$2,502) and 73,831 Yuan (£14,620/US$20,796) per QALY from a public sector and societal perspective, respectively and was cost-effective using UK (£20,000) and US (US$50,000) per QALY thresholds. Conclusion: A multi-component school-based prevention programme is a cost-effective means of preventing childhood obesity in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandana Zanganeh
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Peymane Adab
- Institute for Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Bai Li
- School for Public Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Miranda Pallan
- Institute for Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Jia Liu
- Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Karla Hemming
- Institute for Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Rong Lin
- Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - James Martin
- Institute for Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kar Keung Cheng
- Institute for Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Frew
- Institute for Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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12
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Zanganeh M, Adab P, Li B, Frew E. An assessment of the construct validity of the Child Health Utility 9D-CHN instrument in school-aged children: evidence from a Chinese trial. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2021; 19:205. [PMID: 34446001 PMCID: PMC8394170 DOI: 10.1186/s12955-021-01840-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although there is emerging data regarding the psychometric properties of the Child Health Utility-9D instrument, more evidence is required with respect to its validity for use in different country settings. The aim of this study was to examine the construct validity of the CHU-9D-CHN instrument in Chinese children. Methods Baseline Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and demographic data were collected from children recruited to the CHIRPY DRAGON obesity prevention intervention randomised controlled trial in China. HRQoL was measured using the Chinese version of the CHU-9D instrument (CHU-9D-CHN) and the PedsQL instrument. CHU-9D-CHN utility scores were generated using two scoring algorithms [UK and Chinese tariffs]. Discriminant validity, known-group validity and convergent validity were evaluated using non-parametric test for trend, Kruskal–Wallis test and Spearman correlation coefficient analysis respectively. Results Data was available for 1,539 children (mean age 6 years). The CHU-9D-CHN was sensitive to known group differences determined by the median PedsQL total score. Furthermore, the mean CHU-9D-CHN utility values decreased linearly with increasing levels of severity on each dimension of the PedsQL for emotional and social functioning domains. They decreased monotonically with increasing levels of severity on each dimension of the PedsQL for physical and school functioning domains (p < 0.001). Contrary to studies conducted in Western countries, and although not statistically significant, we found an indication that HRQoL, using both the CHU-9D-CHN and the PedsQL, was higher in children whose parents had lower levels of education, compared to those whose parents were university educated. The correlation between the CHU-9D-CHN utility values using UK and Chinese tariffs, and PedsQL total scores showed a statistically significant moderate positive correlation (Spearman’s rho = 0.5221, p < 0.001 and Spearman’s rho = 0.5316, p < 0.001), respectively. However, each CHU-9D-CHN dimension was either weakly, or very weakly correlated with each of the predetermined PedsQL domain functioning scores. Conclusions Overall, the findings provide some support for the construct validity of the CHU-9D-CHN within a Chinese population aged 6–7 years. However, some uncertainty remains. We recommend future studies continue to test the validity of the CHU-9D in different country settings. Trial registration: ISRCTN Identifier ISRCTN11867516, Registered on 19/08/2015 Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12955-021-01840-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandana Zanganeh
- Centre for Health Economics, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Peymane Adab
- Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Bai Li
- Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Emma Frew
- Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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13
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Lindvall K, Vaezghasemi M, Feldman I, Ivarsson A, Stevens KJ, Petersen S. Feasibility, reliability and validity of the health-related quality of life instrument Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D) among school-aged children and adolescents in Sweden. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2021; 19:193. [PMID: 34344386 PMCID: PMC8336397 DOI: 10.1186/s12955-021-01830-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study was conducted in a general population of schoolchildren in Sweden, with the aim to assess the psychometric properties of a generic preference-based health related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument, the Swedish Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D), among schoolchildren aged 7–15 years, and in subgroups aged 7–9, 10–12 and 13–15 years.
Methods In total, 486 school aged children, aged 7–15 years, completed a questionnaire including the CHU9D, the Pediatric quality of life inventory 4.0 (PedsQL), KIDSCREEN-10, questions on general health, long-term illness, and sociodemographic characteristics. Psychometric testing was undertaken of feasibility, internal consistency reliability, test–retest reliability, construct validity, factorial validity, concurrent validity, convergent validity and divergent validity. Results The CHU9D evidenced very few missing values, minimal ceiling, and no floor effects. The instrument achieved satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alfa > 0.7) and strong test–retest reliability (r > 0.6). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the proposed one-factor structure of the CHU9D. For child algorithm, RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.94, and SRMR = 0.04. For adult algorithm RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.95, and SRMR = 0.04. The CHU9D utility value correlated moderately or strongly with KIDSCREEN-10 and PedsQL total scores (r > 0.5–0.7). The CHU9D discriminated as anticipated on health and on three of five sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, and custody arrangement, but not socioeconomic status and ethnic origin). Conclusions This study provides evidence that the Swedish CHU9D is a feasible, reliable and valid measure of preference-based HRQoL in children. The study furthermore suggests that the CHU9D is appropriate for use among children 7–15 years of age in the general population, as well as among subgroups aged 7– 9, 10–12 and 13–15 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Lindvall
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Masoud Vaezghasemi
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Inna Feldman
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Public Health and Caring Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anneli Ivarsson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Katherine J Stevens
- School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Solveig Petersen
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
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14
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Rowen D, Keetharuth AD, Poku E, Wong R, Pennington B, Wailoo A. A Review of the Psychometric Performance of Selected Child and Adolescent Preference-Based Measures Used to Produce Utilities for Child and Adolescent Health. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2021; 24:443-460. [PMID: 33641779 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This review examined the psychometric performance of 4 generic child- and adolescent-specific preference-based measures that can be used to produce utilities for child and adolescent health. METHODS A systematic search was undertaken to identify studies reporting the psychometric performance of the Child Health Utility (CHU9D), EQ-5D-Y (3L or 5L), and Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (HUI2) or Mark 3 (HUI3) in children and/or adolescents. Data were extracted to assess known-group validity, convergent validity, responsiveness, reliability, acceptability, and feasibility. Data were extracted separately for the dimensions and utility index where this was reported. RESULTS The review included 76 studies (CHU9D n = 12, EQ-5D-Y-3L n = 20, HUI2 n = 26,HUI3 n = 43), which varied considerably across conditions and sample size. EQ-5D-Y-3L had the largest amount of evidence of good psychometric performance in proportion to the number of studies examining performance. The majority of the evidence related to EQ-5D-Y-3L was based on dimensions. CHU9D was assessed in fewer studies, but the majority of studies found evidence of good psychometric performance. Evidence for HUI2 and HUI3 was more mixed, but the studies were more limited in sample size and statistical power, which was likely to have affected performance. CONCLUSIONS The heterogeneity of published studies means that the evidence is based on studies across a range of countries, populations and conditions, using different study designs, different languages, different value sets and different statistical techniques. Evidence for CHU9D in particular is based on a limited number of studies. The findings raise concerns about the comparability of self-report and proxy-report responses to generate utility values for children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna Rowen
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, UK.
| | - Anju D Keetharuth
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, UK
| | - Edith Poku
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, UK
| | - Ruth Wong
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, UK
| | - Becky Pennington
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, UK
| | - Allan Wailoo
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, UK
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15
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Wolf RT, Ratcliffe J, Chen G, Jeppesen P. The longitudinal validity of proxy-reported CHU9D. Qual Life Res 2021; 30:1747-1756. [PMID: 33582966 PMCID: PMC8178153 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-021-02774-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Objectives The Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D) currently represents the only preference-based health-related quality-of-life instrument designed exclusively from its inception for application with children. The objective of this study was to examine the construct validity and responsiveness of the proxy-reported (parent) CHU9D in a mental health setting using utility weights derived from an adult and adolescent population, respectively. Methods The discriminant validity and convergent validity were examined using the mental health-specific ‘The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’ (SDQ) and the generic KIDSCREEN-27. Responsiveness was assessed by examining the floor-ceiling effects, the magnitude of change over time, and the ability to differentiate between improvement and no improvement. Results The study included 396 children with mental health problems. CHU9D showed good construct validity, with correlation coefficients ranging between 0.329 and 0.571 for SDQ Impact score and KIDSCREEN-27 Psychological Well-being. CHU9D was able to distinguish between groups of children with different levels of mental health problems (p < 0.001). The absolute magnitudes of the group mean differences were larger using adolescent weights. No evidence of a floor/ceiling effect was found at the baseline. A standardized response mean of 0.634–0.654 was found for the children who experienced clinically significant improvements. CHU9D was able to discriminate between children who experienced positive and no health improvements (p < 0.001). Conclusion This study provides the first evidence on responsiveness for CHU9D in a mental health context. The findings demonstrate that CHU9D is an appropriate HRQOL measure for use in mental health trials. Furthermore, the results show that the preference weights generated from an adolescent population resulted in the larger mean differences between groups. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-021-02774-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus Trap Wolf
- Danish Centre for Health Economics, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. .,Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services-Capital Region of Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Julie Ratcliffe
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
| | - Gang Chen
- Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Pia Jeppesen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services-Capital Region of Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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16
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Mierau JO, Kann-Weedage D, Hoekstra PJ, Spiegelaar L, Jansen DEMC, Vermeulen KM, Reijneveld SA, van den Hoofdakker BJ, Buskens E, van den Akker-van Marle ME, Dirksen CD, Groenman AP. Assessing quality of life in psychosocial and mental health disorders in children: a comprehensive overview and appraisal of generic health related quality of life measures. BMC Pediatr 2020; 20:329. [PMID: 32620157 PMCID: PMC7333319 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-020-02220-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mental health problems often arise in childhood and adolescence and can have detrimental effects on people's quality of life (QoL). Therefore, it is of great importance for clinicians, policymakers and researchers to adequately measure QoL in children. With this review, we aim to provide an overview of existing generic measures of QoL suitable for economic evaluations in children with mental health problems. METHODS First, we undertook a meta-review of QoL instruments in which we identified all relevant instruments. Next, we performed a systematic review of the psychometric properties of the identified instruments. Lastly, the results were summarized in a decision tree. RESULTS This review provides an overview of these 22 generic instruments available to measure QoL in children with psychosocial and or mental health problems and their psychometric properties. A systematic search into the psychometric quality of these instruments found 195 suitable papers, of which 30 assessed psychometric quality in child and adolescent mental health. CONCLUSIONS We found that none of the instruments was perfect for use in economic evaluation of child and adolescent mental health care as all instruments had disadvantages, ranging from lack of psychometric research, no proxy version, not being suitable for young children, no age-specific value set for children under 18, to insufficient focus on relevant domains (e.g. social and emotional domains).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen O Mierau
- Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Pieter J Hoekstra
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisan Spiegelaar
- Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Danielle E M C Jansen
- Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Karin M Vermeulen
- Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sijmen A Reijneveld
- Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara J van den Hoofdakker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Erik Buskens
- University Medical Center Groningen and Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Elske van den Akker-van Marle
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, section Medical Decision Making, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Carmen D Dirksen
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Annabeth P Groenman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, freepostnumber 176, 9700VB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Psychology, Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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17
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Tan EJ, Brown V, Petrou S, D'Souza M, Moodie ML, Wen LM, Baur LA, Rissel C, Hayes AJ. Is there an association between early weight status and utility-based health-related quality of life in young children? Qual Life Res 2018; 27:2851-2858. [PMID: 29992501 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-018-1932-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Few studies focus on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of preschool children with overweight or obesity. This is relevant for evaluation of obesity prevention trials using a quality-adjusted life year (QALY) framework. This study examined the association between weight status in the preschool years and HRQoL at age 5 years, using a preference-based instrument. METHODS HRQoL [based on parent proxy version of the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3)] and weight status were measured in children born in Australia between 2007 and 2009. Children's health status was scored across eight attributes of the HUI3-vision, hearing, speech, ambulation, dexterity, emotion, cognition and pain, and these were used to calculate a multi-attribute utility score. Ordinary least squares (OLS), Tobit and two-part regressions were used to model the association between weight status and multi-attribute utility. RESULTS Of the 368 children for whom weight status and HUI3 data were available, around 40% had overweight/obesity. After adjusting for child's sex, maternal education, marital status and household income, no significant association between weight status in the preschool years and multi-attribute utility scores at 5 years was found. CONCLUSIONS Alternative approaches for capturing the effects of weight status in the preschool years on preference-based HRQoL outcomes should be tested. The application of the QALY framework to economic evaluations of obesity-related interventions in young children should also consider longitudinal effects over the life-course. Clinical Trial Registration The Healthy Beginnings Trial was registered with the Australian Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRNO12607000168459).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eng Joo Tan
- The University of Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. .,The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Victoria Brown
- The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Deakin Health Economics, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.,Global Obesity Centre, Centre for Population Health Research, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Stavros Petrou
- The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Mario D'Souza
- The University of Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,Clinical Research Centre, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marjory L Moodie
- The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Deakin Health Economics, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.,Global Obesity Centre, Centre for Population Health Research, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Li Ming Wen
- The University of Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Health Promotion Service, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia
| | - Louise A Baur
- The University of Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Chris Rissel
- The University of Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alison J Hayes
- The University of Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in The Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Brown V, Tan EJ, Hayes AJ, Petrou S, Moodie ML. Utility values for childhood obesity interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence for use in economic evaluation. Obes Rev 2018; 19:905-916. [PMID: 29356315 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Rigorous estimates of preference-based utilities are important inputs into economic evaluations of childhood obesity interventions, yet no published review currently exists examining utility by weight status in paediatric populations. A comprehensive systematic literature review and meta-analysis was therefore undertaken, pooling data on preference-based health state utilities by weight status in children using a random-effects model. Tests for heterogeneity were performed, and publication bias was assessed. Of 3,434 potentially relevant studies identified, 11 met our eligibility criteria. Estimates of Cohen's d statistic suggested a small effect of weight status on preference-based utilities. Mean utility values were estimated as 0.85 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 0.84-0.87), 0.83 (95% UI 0.81-0.85), 0.82 (95% UI 0.79-0.84) and 0.83 (95% UI 0.80-0.86) for healthy weight, overweight, obese and overweight/obese states, respectively. Meta-analysis of studies reporting utility values for both healthy weight and overweight/obese participants found a statistically significant weighted mean difference (0.015, 95% UI 0.003-0.026). A small but statistically significant difference was also estimated between healthy weight and overweight participants (0.011, 95% UI 0.004-0.018). Study findings suggest that paediatric-specific benefits of obesity interventions may not be well reflected by available utility measures, potentially underestimating cost-effectiveness if weight loss in childhood/adolescence improves health or well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Brown
- Deakin Health Economics, Global Obesity Centre (GLOBE), Centre for Population Health Research, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Research Excellence in Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - E J Tan
- Centre for Research Excellence in Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A J Hayes
- Centre for Research Excellence in Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S Petrou
- Centre for Research Excellence in Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - M L Moodie
- Deakin Health Economics, Global Obesity Centre (GLOBE), Centre for Population Health Research, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Research Excellence in Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Yang P, Chen G, Wang P, Zhang K, Deng F, Yang H, Zhuang G. Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D-CHN): a school-based study in China. Qual Life Res 2018; 27:1921-1931. [PMID: 29730851 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-018-1864-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D), a new generic preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument, was developed specifically for the application in cost-effectiveness analyses of treatments and interventions for children and adolescents. The main objective of this study was to examine the psychometric property of the Chinese version of CHU9D (CHU9D-CHN) in a large school-based sample in China. METHODS Data were collected using a multi-stage sampling method from third-to-ninth-grade students in Shaanxi Province, China. Participants self-completed a hard-copy questionnaire including the CHU9D-CHN instrument, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQL), information on socio-demographic characteristics and self-reported health status. The psychometric properties of the CHU9D-CHN, including the internal consistency, 2-week test-retest reliability, convergent and known-groups validity were studied. RESULTS A total of 1912 students participated in the survey. The CHU9D-CHN internal consistency and test-retest reliability were good to excellent with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.77 and an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.65, respectively. The CHU9D utility scores moderately correlated with the PedsQL total scores (r = .57, P < .001), demonstrating good convergent validity. Difference of the CHU9D utility scores among the different participants with levels of self-reported general health, health services utilisation and left-behind status demonstrated good construct validity. CONCLUSION The findings demonstrated adequate psychometric performance for the CHU9D-CHN. The CHU9D-CHN was a satisfactory, reliable and valid instrument to measure and value HRQoL for children and adolescents in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peirong Yang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No. 76 Yanta Western Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China.,Baoji Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Baoji, Shaanxi, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, 15 Innovation Walk, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Peng Wang
- College of Foreign Language, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, China
| | - Kejian Zhang
- Baoji Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Baoji, Shaanxi, China
| | - Feng Deng
- Baoji Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Baoji, Shaanxi, China
| | - Haifeng Yang
- Baoji Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Baoji, Shaanxi, China
| | - Guihua Zhuang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No. 76 Yanta Western Road, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China.
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Lambe T, Frew E, Ives NJ, Woolley RL, Cummins C, Brettell EA, Barsoum EN, Webb NJA. Mapping the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) Generic Core Scales onto the Child Health Utility Index-9 Dimension (CHU-9D) Score for Economic Evaluation in Children. PHARMACOECONOMICS 2018; 36:451-465. [PMID: 29264866 DOI: 10.1007/s40273-017-0600-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) questionnaire is a widely used, generic instrument designed for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL); however, it is not preference-based and therefore not suitable for cost-utility analysis. The Child Health Utility Index-9 Dimension (CHU-9D), however, is a preference-based instrument that has been primarily developed to support cost-utility analysis. OBJECTIVE This paper presents a method for estimating CHU-9D index scores from responses to the PedsQL™ using data from a randomised controlled trial of prednisolone therapy for treatment of childhood corticosteroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome. METHODS HRQoL data were collected from children at randomisation, week 16, and months 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48. Observations on children aged 5 years and older were pooled across all data collection timepoints and were then randomised into an estimation (n = 279) and validation (n = 284) sample. A number of models were developed using the estimation data before internal validation. The best model was chosen using multi-stage selection criteria. RESULTS Most of the models developed accurately predicted the CHU-9D mean index score. The best performing model was a generalised linear model (mean absolute error = 0.0408; mean square error = 0.0035). The proportion of index scores deviating from the observed scores by < 0.03 was 53%. CONCLUSIONS The mapping algorithm provides an empirical tool for estimating CHU-9D index scores and for conducting cost-utility analyses within clinical studies that have only collected PedsQL™ data. It is valid for children aged 5 years or older. Caution should be exercised when using this with children younger than 5 years, older adolescents (> 13 years) or patient groups with particularly poor quality of life. ISRCTN REGISTRY NO 16645249.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tosin Lambe
- Health Economics Unit, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Emma Frew
- Health Economics Unit, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Natalie J Ives
- Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Rebecca L Woolley
- Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Carole Cummins
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Emma N Barsoum
- Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Nicholas J A Webb
- Department of Paediatric Nephrology and NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK
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How does age affect the relationship between weight and health utility during the middle years of childhood? Qual Life Res 2018; 27:1455-1462. [PMID: 29404925 PMCID: PMC5951869 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-018-1790-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The limited literature examining weight status and preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQL) in young children is equivocal. This study aims to examine how the association between weight status and preference-based HRQL changes as children develop between the ages of 6 and 10 years old. Methods The Child Health Utility 9D (CHU-9D) was used to determine preference-based HRQL. Height and weight data were also collected and used to calculate z-BMI adjusted for age and gender. 1467 children were recruited from 54 schools across the West Midlands. Data were collected at four time points over 5 years. Impact of weight on dimensions of HRQL was assessed via the distribution of responses to CHU-9D dimensions by weight status. Multi-level regression analysis controlling for ethnicity, deprivation and other relevant co-variates was conducted to examine the relationship between weight and HRQL. Results There was no evidence to suggest that the weight status impacted upon the distribution of responses to CHU-9D dimensions. Correspondingly, the multi-level regression analysis found no statistically significant differences in CHU-9D scores between underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese children. Conclusions The evidence surrounding the link between preference-based HRQL and weight status in children is limited. This study found no association between weight status and HRQL as measured by the CHU-9D in children between the ages of 5 and 10 years in the UK. Given this, it is recommended that future studies aiming to prevent obesity in children in their middle years do not rely solely on preference-based measures for economic evaluation, and instead focus on capturing clinical or wellbeing outcomes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11136-018-1790-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Use-of-time and health-related quality of life in 10- to 13-year-old children: not all screen time or physical activity minutes are the same. Qual Life Res 2017; 26:3119-3129. [DOI: 10.1007/s11136-017-1639-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Economic Evaluation of Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Methods, Limitations and Recommendations. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2016; 13:ijerph13090911. [PMID: 27649218 PMCID: PMC5036744 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13090911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite methodological advances in the field of economic evaluations of interventions, economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood are seldom conducted. The aim of the present study was to explore existing methods and applications of economic evaluations, examining their limitations and making recommendations for future cost-effectiveness assessments. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, the British National Health Service Economic Evaluation Databases and EconLit. Eligible studies included trial-based or simulation-based cost-effectiveness analyses of obesity prevention programmes targeting preschool children and/or their parents. The quality of included studies was assessed. Of the six studies included, five were intervention studies and one was based on a simulation approach conducted on secondary data. We identified three main conceptual and methodological limitations of their economic evaluations: Insufficient conceptual approach considering the complexity of childhood obesity, inadequate measurement of effects of interventions, and lack of valid instruments to measure child-related quality of life and costs. Despite the need for economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood, only a few studies of varying quality have been conducted. Moreover, due to methodological and conceptual weaknesses, they offer only limited information for policy makers and intervention providers. We elaborate reasons for the limitations of these studies and offer guidance for designing better economic evaluations of early obesity prevention.
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Frew E. Economic Evaluation of Childhood Obesity Interventions: Reflections and Suggestions. PHARMACOECONOMICS 2016; 34:733-740. [PMID: 26968705 DOI: 10.1007/s40273-016-0398-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Rising levels of childhood obesity present a serious global public health problem amounting to 7 % of GDP in developed countries and affecting 14 % of children. As such, many countries are investing increasingly large quantities of resource towards treatment and prevention. Whilst it is important to demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of any intervention, it is equally as important to demonstrate cost effectiveness as policy makers strive to get the best value for money from increasingly limited public resources. Economic evaluation assists with making these investment decisions and whilst it can offer considerable support in many healthcare contexts, applying it to a childhood obesity context is not straightforward. Childhood obesity is a complex disease with interventions being multi-component in nature. Furthermore, the interventions are implemented in a variety of settings such as schools, the community, and the home, and have costs and benefits that fall outside the health sector. This paper provides a reflection from a UK perspective on the application of the conventional approach to economic evaluation to childhood obesity. It offers suggestions for how evaluations should be designed to fit better within this context, and to meet the needs of local decision makers. An excellent example is the need to report costs using a micro-costing format and for benefit measurement to go beyond a health focus. This is critical as the organisation and commissioning of childhood obesity services is done from a Local Authority setting and this presents further challenges for what is the most appropriate economic evaluation approach to use. Given that adult obesity is now of epidemic proportions, the accurate assessment of childhood obesity interventions to support public health decision making is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Frew
- Health Economics Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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