Suchergebnisse

Aims: Interventions targeting diets have the potential to reduce a consistent fraction of the chronic disease burden. Economic evaluations of such interventions can be an important tool in guiding public health practitioners and decision makers at various levels, yet there are still not many economic evaluations in this area. This qualitative study explored facilitators and barriers in conducting and using economic analyses to inform decision makers in the field of public health nutrition. Methods: Data were collected through written, open-ended questionnaires administered to twenty-three participants (13 from academia and 10 from government) using purposive sampling and analysed through a conventional content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed two broad categories of barriers, which included: i) "Methodological challenges", and; ii) "Barriers related to application of economic evaluations." Two main categories of facilitators were also identified: i) "Facilitators to improving the methodology of economic evaluations", with subcategories further detailing frameworks and methods to be applied, and; ii) "Facilitators to broaden the use of economic evaluations", with most subcategories addressing science-into-policy translations. These barriers and facilitators to the use of economic evaluations in public health are perceived differently by researchers and policymakers, the former more focused on implementation aspects, the latter more concerned by methodological gaps. Conclusion: Public health nutrition policies seldom take into account data from formal economic evaluations. Economic evaluation methodologies can be improved to ensure their broader application to decision making.

Aims: Interventions targeting diets have the potential to reduce a consistent fraction of the chronic disease burden. Economic evaluations of such interventions can be an important tool in guiding public health practitioners and decision makers at various levels, yet there are still not many economic evaluations in this area. This qualitative study explored facilitators and barriers in conducting and using economic analyses to inform decision makers in the field of public health nutrition. Methods: Data were collected through written, open-ended questionnaires administered to twenty-three participants (13 from academia and 10 from government) using purposive sampling and analysed through a conventional content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed two broad categories of barriers, which included: i) "Methodological challenges", and; ii) "Barriers related to application of economic evaluations." Two main categories of facilitators were also identified: i) "Facilitators to improving the methodology of economic evaluations", with subcategories further detailing frameworks and methods to be applied, and; ii) "Facilitators to broaden the use of economic evaluations", with most subcategories addressing science-into-policy translations. These barriers and facilitators to the use of economic evaluations in public health are perceived differently by researchers and policymakers, the former more focused on implementation aspects, the latter more concerned by methodological gaps. Conclusion: Public health nutrition policies seldom take into account data from formal economic evaluations. Economic evaluation methodologies can be improved to ensure their broader application to decision making. Conflicts of interest: None declared. Acknowledgements: The work of AL is partially supported by a Jean Monnet Erasmus+ grant (574376-EPP-1-2016-1-IT-EPPJMO-MODULE).

Background: The adverse relation between dietary trans fatty acid (TFA) intake and coronary artery disease risk is well established. Many countries in the European Union (EU) and worldwide have implemented different policies to reduce the TFA intake of their populations.

Across the world, a multitude of efforts are being undertaken to steer the food environment towards facilitating healthier dietary choices. This paper utilizes public procurement as a powerful policy tool for the promotion of healthier food choices. In the European Union (EU), for example, Member States have developed a framework for initiatives on selected nutrients — mainly salt, sugars and fat — and, together with several food business operators and nongovernmental organizations, have committed to a roadmap for action on food product improvement. We argue that the public procurement of food and food services can further incentivize food reformulation and encourage those involved in the procurement process to consider health alongside economic, social and environmental aspects. Given the number of recipients of food and food services procured, from school children to public service employees to food bank clients, the benefits are likely to be far-reaching. EU public procurement directives offer substantial scope for health considerations while stimulating innovation. Building appropriate monitoring and evaluation efforts into the process will allow for the demonstration of widespread benefits and value for money of successful public procurement of food for health. It is time to use the power of the public purse to innovate our food environment for better health for all. ; peer-reviewed