Test-Retest Reliability of EQ-5D-Y-3L Best-Worst Scaling Choices of Adolescents and Adults

How do Health State Values Differ When Respondents Consider Adults Versus Children Living in Those States? A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review examines how different perspectives influence the valuation of child health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Specifically, it explores differences in values when health states are assessed by children, adolescents, or adults (or some combination of these), from the perspective of the first person (self) or the third person (other), and whether specifying (or not) the age of the person living the described health state affects the valuations. Recent studies suggest discrepancies for descriptively similar health states potentially owing to differences in respondents' willingness to trade length-of-life for quality-of-life for children, though findings are inconsistent. This review aims to assess: (1) differences in peoples' willingness to trade, (2) differences between the relative importance of dimensions, and (3) factors influencing these differences.

METHODS

This systematic review follows PRISMA guidelines. A search in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, and EconLit up to November 2024 was undertaken. We included studies where different perspectives and different valuation instruments were considered. We extracted information on study characteristics, instruments, valuation methods, perspective, study design, analytical methods, sample characteristics, differences in values by respondents, and perspective. A multi-level meta-regression assessed the impact of factors affecting the mean differences between perspectives.

RESULTS

In total, 24 studies were included, which were from 2004 to 2024. Studies used a range of preference elicitation methods and nearly half (38%) used mixed valuation methods. Most studies (71%) used the EQ- 5D-Y- 3L instrument. Overall, 54% of studies compared adults valuing health states for themselves, or other adult versus adults valuing for other children or themselves as children. The multi-level meta-regression found that the severity of the health state and the valuation method has a significant impact on the mean differences between child and adult values for child health states. In most of the studies when adults are respondents, pain or discomfort was considered as the most important dimension. When adolescent respondents value health states the results are mixed. Qualitative studies identified respondents' difficulty imagining a child in ill health and becoming emotional while thinking about child poor health and early death as potential reasons behind differences in child values versus adult values.

CONCLUSIONS

The evidence suggests that differences in mean values arise when different perspectives are used in valuing severe child health states by adults. These differences are influenced by factors such as health state severity and valuation method. While the review identified the key factors influencing the differences in mean values, an uncertainty remains regarding the optimal choice of preference elicitation and anchoring methods for child health state valuations. Addressing these gaps could refine future valuation methods for child health-related quality-of-life instruments.

Health State Utility Values in Children and Adolescents with Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Objectives

To (1) provide a comprehensive summary of the methods used to obtain health state utility values (HSUVs) from children and adolescents with disabilities (CAD), (2) describe the administration and psychometric properties of these methods in children and adolescents with disabilities, and (3) report summary statistics for HSUVs obtained from each method.

Study design

English-language studies from MEDLINE (via PubMed), PsychInfo, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, EconLit, and Embase were searched from inception to November 2024. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts. Studies were included if they used direct or indirect methods to measure HSUVs, reported utilities and/or psychometric properties of these measures, and involved CAD aged 0-19 years. Two reviewers independently extracted study details including sample descriptors, instruments used, and summary statistics. Studies quality was assessed using a novel tool derived from 3 validated checklists.

Results

Of the 3541 screened articles, 31 met inclusion criteria. Only 2 studies used direct methods, such as time trade-off, visual analog scale, and standard gamble, whereas 29 employed generic measures (eg, EuroQol 5 Dimensions, Health Utilities Index 3) with diverse preference elicitation methods. Excessive dependence on proxy respondents was noted, and psychometric properties of generic measures were mixed.

Conclusions

Inconsistent HSUVs reporting and limited data availability are common. Reported HSUV summary statistics may be inaccurate if methodologies are unsuitable for the population. This review emphasizes the need for validated instruments to assess HSUVs in CAD.

Drivers of consumer food choices of multinational corporations' products over local foods in Ghana: a maximum difference scaling study

INTRODUCTION

The fundamental transformation of food systems and retail environments in low-income countries is influencing consumers' food choices and dietary habits in unfavourable directions through the consumption of highly processed, energy-dense foods, predominantly manufactured by multinational food corporations. This study aims to identify the principal factors driving consumers' preference for multinational foods over local foods in the urban Accra region of Ghana.

METHOD

This cross-sectional survey involving a random sample of 200 consumers conducted in March/April 2023 using interviewer-administered questionnaires employed a maximum difference scaling approach to investigate the drivers of urban Ghanaian consumer food choices for multinational food corporations' products over local foods. The maximum difference scaling modelling analysis utilized in this study identifies the primary drivers of multinational food corporations' product preferences and the associated trade-offs.

RESULT

The study discovered that food quality and safe packaging, perceived healthiness, taste and flavour, and nutritional value were the most significant factors driving consumer preference for multinational food corporations' products over local foods in Ghana. The criterion food quality and safe packaging had the significantly highest utility than all other attributes in terms of consumer preference for products/meals from multinational food corporations over local foods.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study provide significant contributions to the existing body of research, as previous studies have not identified these factors as primary drivers of multinational food products. Public health authorities and nutritionists can use the study's findings to implement targeted quality assurance measures in local markets and to address the drivers in health education campaigns.

Perceived antimicrobial dispensing practices in medicine outlets in Ghana: A maximum difference experiment design

INTRODUCTION

Antimicrobials are consumed among patients globally, but in developing and middle-income countries, these drugs can be obtained without a prescription from pharmacies and licensed drug stores due to inadequate regulation in the pharmaceutical sector. This study aimed to assess antimicrobial dispensing practices in medicine sales outlets (i.e., pharmacies and licensed drug stores) to provide quantitative evidence for policy discussions to enhance patient safety and care quality in Ghana's pharmaceutical industry.

METHOD

The data for this study were obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted in the Greater Accra region between July and August 2022. The survey was conducted through interviewer-administered questionnaires, and 200 staff members from medicine sales outlets were randomly selected using a two-stage cluster and random sampling technique. The maximum difference experiment model, rooted in random utility theory, was used to analyze their antimicrobial dispensing practices.

RESULT

We found that medicine sales outlet staffs were highly concerned about following the drug act and not dispensing antimicrobials without a prescription, and usually refer a patient to get a prescription from a doctor if the patient has complications (like high fever, generalized malaise, fatigue as symptoms, sinusitis). Stronger concerns were also observed for medicine outlet staff not dispensing antimicrobials without a prescription if the patient is pediatric or geriatric with a severe infection. They also evaluated patients and dispensed antimicrobials based on symptoms, not their age or gender. However, they tended not to dispense antibiotics if the patient had a mild fever and requested it without a prescription.

CONCLUSION

Our results provide insight into the need for a national surveillance system for monitoring antimicrobial prescribing and dispensing practices at medicine sales outlets. Therefore, the selection of antimicrobials for treating infectious diseases may be informed by evidence-based antimicrobial prescribing and dispensing surveillance data and will help policymakers to know the pattern of commonly consumed antimicrobials in the medicine sales outlets.