Cost Effectiveness of Community-Based Physical Activity Intervention

Posted by on January 26, 2009

New Study Shows Community Physical Activity Programs Are Cost-Effective

Community-based physical activity interventions designed to promote more active lifestyles among adults are cost-effective in reducing heart disease, stroke, colorectal and breast cancers, and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Using a rigorous economic model developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions, the study found these interventions to be cost-effective; reducing new cases of many chronic diseases and improving quality of life. Community-based physical activity interventions broadly fall under the following strategies 1) community campaigns such as mass communication efforts (TV/radio, newspapers, billboards, advertisements), 2) social support networks such as exercise groups to encourage behavior change, 3) tailored behavior change to encourage people to set physical activity goals and monitor their individual progress, and 4) enhanced access to services that support active lifestyles such as fitness centers, bike paths and walking trails. The study, “Cost Effectiveness of Community-Based Physical Activity Intervention,” is being published in the online version of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The full study is available by sending a request to eAJPM@ucsd.edu.

Abstract: http://www.ajpm-online.net/article/S0749-3797(08)00770-8/abstract