Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-utility of a lifestyle intervention among
adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy.
DESIGN: Single-blind,
randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Six university hospital/clinics in the
Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-seven adolescents and young adults with spastic
cerebral palsy classified as Gross Motor Functioning Classification System
(GMFCS) level I-IV. INTERVENTION: A 6-month lifestyle intervention consisting of
physical fitness training combined with counselling sessions focusing on physical
behaviour and sports participation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data on quality of
life, direct medical costs and productivity costs were collected using
stan-dardized questionnaires. Quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were derived
from the Short-Form 36 questionnaire using the Short-Form 6D. RESULTS: Quality of
life remained stable over time for both groups. No significant differences
between groups were found for direct medical costs or productivity costs. A
cost-utility ratio of -euro23,664 per QALY was found for the lifestyle
intervention compared with no treatment. CONCLUSION: The results of this study
are exploratory, but indicate that implementing a lifestyle intervention for the
cere-bral palsy population might be cost-effective or cost-saving compared with
offering no intervention to improve physical behaviour and fitness. However, the
large range of uncertainty for the cost-utility ratio should be taken into
account and the results interpreted with caution.

Langue : ANGLAIS