Measuring the benefits of health promotion programmes: application of the contingent valuation method

Health Policy. 2008 Aug;87(2):235-48. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2008.01.004. Epub 2008 Mar 4.

Abstract

Economic evaluation of health promotion programmes presents well documented challenges. These programmes often generate significant non-health benefits which are typically ignored within economic evaluation. This study explored the use of the contingent valuation (CV) method to value the broader benefits of a women's group programme to improve maternal and newborn health in Nepal. Interviews were conducted with 93 women's group members, 70 women non-members and 33 men. Respondents were asked to give reasons for their willingness-to-pay (WTP) in terms of health and/or non-health benefits. WTP was regressed against socio-economic and demographic variables using ordinary least squares. Seventy eight percent of respondents were willing-to-pay for the women's groups. There was no significant difference between the WTP of women's group members compared to female non-members. Men were willing-to-pay significantly more than women. WTP reflected non-health benefits in over 80% of cases. At least 11% of women attending meetings and 38% of those not attending were WTP for altruistic motives. Future research should address the relative value of non-health compared to health benefits; and motivations behind non-user values and their consistency across settings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Altruism
  • Attitude to Health* / ethnology
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Efficiency, Organizational
  • Female
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Promotion / economics*
  • Health Promotion / organization & administration
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Welfare / economics*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Male
  • Maternal Welfare / economics*
  • Motivation
  • Nepal
  • Program Evaluation / methods*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Treatment Outcome*
  • Value of Life / economics
  • Women's Health Services / economics*
  • Women's Health Services / organization & administration