COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENTIAL EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS IN IMPROVING PERCEIVED HEALTH STATUS OF BANGLADESHI DIABETIC INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses huge health burden for individuals and societies. Currently, the brunt of high prevalence of T2DM in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are creating economic burden for the economies. Aim: This study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of differential exercise interventions directed to improve the perceived health status of T2DM individuals of Bangladesh. Method: 66 middle-aged T2DM individuals residing in Dhaka, Bangladesh from middle-income strata of the society were included. EuroQol 5D-5L questionnaire was used for the evaluation of perceived health-status. There was 14 weeks of intervention sessions carried out to assess the cost-effectiveness of the differential exercise programs. In this study, the provider’s perspective was taken for cost-effectiveness analysis. Incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) was designed and calculated to assess the cost - effective exercise program for the T2DM population. Results: In terms of total costs from provider’s perspective, combined exercise intervention program had the lowest ICER value with highest improvement in health status and highest cost. Besides, EQ-VAS score measuring improvement in health status of middle-aged T2DM individuals was highest in the combined exercise program (EQ-VAS score = 91.60) compared with aerobic training (EQ-VAS score = 86.05) and no exercise program (EQ-VAS score = 81.00) after the intervention sessions. Conclusions: Combined exercise program was evident as the most cost-effective programme among aerobic and no exercise programme for T2DM participants residing in Dhaka, Bangladesh.