Economic costs of obesity: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a growing public health problem leading to substantial economic impact. This study aimed to summarize the economic impact of obesity and to critically analyze the methods used in the cost-of-illness (COI) studies on obesity. METHODS: We conducted systematic search in PubMed and Scopus from September 1, 2016, to July 22, 2022. Original COI studies estimating the economic cost of obesity and/or overweight in at least one country, published in English were included. To facilitate the comparison of estimates across countries, we converted the cost estimates of different years to 2022 purchasing power parity (PPP) values using each country's consumer price index (CPI) and PPP conversion rate. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included. All studies employed a prevalence-based approach using Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) methodology. About half of the included studies (53%) were conducted in high-income countries while the others (47%) were conducted in middle-income countries. The economic burden of obesity ranged between PPP 15 million in Brazil to PPP 126 billion in the USA, in the year 2022. Direct medical costs accounted for 0.7% to 17.8% of the health system expenditure. Furthermore, the total costs of obesity ranged from 0.05% to 2.42% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Of the seven studies that estimated both direct and indirect costs, indirect costs accounted for the largest portion of five studies. Nevertheless, a variety in methodology across studies was identified. The number of co-morbidities included in the analysis varied across studies. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was a variety of methodologies across studies, consistent evidence indicated that the economic burden of obesity was substantial. Obesity prevention and control should be a public health priority, especially among countries with high prevalence of obesity.

Does health economics research align with the disease burden in the Middle East and North Africa region? A systematic review of economic evaluation studies on public health interventions.

INTRODUCTION: Economic evaluation studies demonstrate the value of money in health interventions and enhance the efficiency of the healthcare system. Therefore, this study reviews published economic evaluation studies of public health interventions from 26 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries and examines whether they addressed the region's major health problems. METHODS: PubMed and Scopus were utilized to search for relevant articles published up to June 26, 2021. The reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed the quality of studies using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist. RESULTS: The search identified 61 studies. Approximately half (28 studies; 46%) were conducted in Israel and Iran. The main areas of interest for economic evaluation studies were infectious diseases (21 studies; 34%), cancers (13 studies; 21%), and genetic disorders (nine studies; 15%). Five (8%), 39 (64%), 16 (26%), and one (2%) studies were classified as excellent, high, average, and poor quality, respectively. The mean of CHEERS checklist items reported was 80.8% (SD 14%). Reporting the structure and justification of the selected model was missed in 21 studies (37%), while price and conversion rates and the analytical methods were missed in 21 studies (34%). CONCLUSIONS: The quantity of economic evaluation studies on public health interventions in the MENA region remains low; however, the overall quality is high to excellent. There were obvious geographic gaps across countries regarding the number and quality of studies and gaps within countries concerning disease prioritization. The observed research output, however, did not reflect current and upcoming disease burden and risk factors trends in the MENA region.