Cost and consequence analysis of the Healthy Choices at Work programme to prevent non-communicable diseases in a commercial power plant, South Africa

Abstract

Background: The workplace is an ideal setting for the implementation of a health promotion programmes to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCD). There are limited resources assigned to workplace health promotion programmes in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC).Aim: This study aimed to conduct a cost and consequence analysis of the Healthy Choices at Work programme.Setting: This study was conducted at a commercial power plant in South Africa.Methods: Incremental costs were obtained for the activities of the Healthy Choices at Work programme over a two-year period. A total of 156 employees were evaluated in the intervention, although the effect was experienced by all employees. An annual health risk factor assessment at baseline and follow up evaluated the consequences of the programme.Results: The total incremental costs over the two-year period accumulated to $4015 for 1743 employees. The cost per employee on an annual basis was $1.15 and was associated with a −10.2mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure, −3.87mmHg in diastolic blood pressure, −0.45mmol/l in total cholesterol and significant improvement in harmful alcohol use, fruit and vegetable intake and physical inactivity (p 0.001). There was no correlation between sickness absenteeism and risk factors for NCDs.Conclusion: The cost to implement the multicomponent HCW programme was low with significant beneficial consequences in transforming the workplace environment and reducing risks factors for NCDs. Findings of this study will be useful for small, medium and large organisations, the national department of health, and similar settings in LMICs.

A systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of community and population interventions to reduce the modifiable risk factors for dementia

“…and China [29]; and single studies on smoking from Thailand [26], physical inactivity from Columbia and Mexico [36], obesity from China [40], and multiple risk factors from South Africa [46]. Economic analytic designs of the included studies can be classified into four types.…”

“…Economic analytic designs of the included studies can be classified into four types. The simplest design, used in 12 studies [16,20,[31][32][33]38,45,46,49,52,54,58], expressed the cost of the intervention per outcome measure achieved (e.g. cost per quitter, or cost per extra year of schooling).…”

“…However, the surveys used to estimate changes in helmet use associated with the interventions were not adequately reported. The two workplace-based interventions targeting multiple risk factors [45,46] only reported changes in risk factor prevalence per dollar spent. In both cases, large reductions were possible for small amounts of money ($3-4 USD per unit decrease in risk factor prevalence), largely because of the very high prevalence of risk factors in the first place.…”

Consumer objective and subjective knowledge about healthy foods: An approach to promote healthy lifestyle choices in South Africa

“…These programmes could play a fundamental role in educating consumers across all demographics by focusing on tasks distinguishing fact from fiction and working with complex purchasing-decision scenarios. Schouw and Mash [ 66 ] revealed promising improvements in NCD-risk factors in a South African workplace when introducing a multi-component wellness intervention programme, with a significant reduction in alcohol consumption, improved fruit and vegetable intake, and physical activity. We thus recommend that objective knowledge be covered in such programmes, especially those on healthy food, related directly to the chief NCDs of concern for corporate employees’ health vulnerabilities.…”