Applying Cost Analysis Methods to School-Based Prevention Programs

Authors: Chatterji P.¹; Caffray C.M.²; Jones A.S.³; Lillie-Blanton M.⁴; Werthamer L.⁵

Source: Prevention Science, Volume 2, Number 1, March 2001 , pp. 45-55(11)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

In order to efficiently allocate scarce prevention resources, policymakers need information about the economic costs of school-based substance use prevention programs. The objective of this paper is to outline economic cost analysis methods and demonstrate their applicability to school-based prevention programs. As an example, the paper focuses on estimating the economic cost of ALPHA, an intensive school-based substance use prevention program. The cost of ALPHA is compared to the costs of 3 elementary school programs that were alternatives to ALPHA. We collected cost information for 3 years, using a cost questionnaire that was completed by program and school budget officers and school principals. The program costs obtained from these sources were modified to conform to well-established economic cost analysis principles.

Keywords: drug prevention; school-based; economic evaluation; cost-analysis

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York; pchatter@montefiore.org 2: Department of Psychology, Cognitive and Neural Science Division, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 3: Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 4: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Washington, District of Columbia 5: Children's Mental Health Services Research Center, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Tennessee

Publication date: 2001-03-01