Cost-utility analysis of a dance intervention for adolescent girls with internalizing problems

• Background: The increasing prevalence of psychological health problems among adolescent girls is alarming. Knowledge of beneficial effects of physical activity on psychological health is widespread. Dance is a popular formof exercise that could be a protective factor in preventing and treating symptoms of depression. The aim of thisstudy was to assess the cost-effectiveness of a dance intervention in addition to usual school health services foradolescent girls with internalizing problems, compared with usual school health services alone.Methods: A cost-utility analysis from a societal perspective based on a randomized controlled intervention trial wasperformed. The setting was a city in central Sweden with a population of 130 000. A total of 112 adolescent girls, 13–18 years old, with internalizing problems participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to intervention (n =59) or control (n = 53) group. The intervention comprised dance twice weekly during eight months in addition to usualschool health services. Costs for the stakeholder of the intervention, treatment effect and healthcare costs wereconsidered. Gained quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were used to measure the effects. Quality of life was measuredwith the Health Utility Index Mark 3. Cost-effectiveness ratios were based on the changes in QALYs and net costs forthe intervention group compared with the control group. Likelihood of cost-effectiveness was calculated.Results: At 20 months, quality of life had increased by 0.08 units more in the intervention group than in the controlgroup (P = .04), translating to 0.10 gained QALYs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was USD $3,830 per QALYand the likelihood of cost-effectiveness was 95%.Conclusions: Intervention with dance twice weekly in addition to usual school health services may be consideredcost-effective compared with usual school health services alone, for adolescent girls with internalizing problems.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Internalizing problems

Adolescent girls

Physical activity

Dance

Cost-utility analysis

Business Studies

Företagsekonomi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)