National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition | National Institutes of Health and Nutrition< | International Center for Nutrition and Information
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Basic research on health economic evaluation of the effects of nutrition policies on the control of social security costs
Background
It is believed that Japan’s nutrition policies have contributed to the control of social security costs through improved public health and nutrition. Scientific evidence based on health economic evaluation is needed to confirm past achievements and promote nutrition policies for ensuring a sustainable future in the super-aged society.
Objectives
In this basic research, we aimed to develop methods of health economic evaluation of nutrition policies in Japan.
Methods
We developed health economic simulation models for nutrition policies in Japan through the following steps.
- A literature review on the evaluation of the effects of nutrition policies on public health and the control of social security costs in Japan and other countries
- A review of nutrition policies in Japan
- Formulation of simulation models based on previous health economic studies in other countries ・A cost-benefit analysis by Markov model simulation on hypothetical scenarios of the UK salt reduction policies being carried out in Japan ・A simulation analysis by a System Dynamics model on a counterfactual scenario of no decrease in salt intake in the past
Findings
- Previous studies in other countries
A literature review revealed that health economic simulation models had been used in other countries to predict the costs and effects of nutrition policies for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
＜Publication＞
Kato H, Ikeda N, Sugiyama T, et al.
Use of simulation models in health economic evaluation studies of dietary salt-reduction policies for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Japanese Journal of Public Health 2021;68(9):631-643. doi:10.11236/jph.20-150 - Salt reduction campaigns in Japan
Prefectural governments have conducted salt reduction campaigns in collaboration with related organizations and private companies and across departments within governments. Improving the food environment to encourage people to reduce salt intake is the current core of the population approach. It is subject to future investigation how to evaluate outcomes, impacts, and overall procedures of salt reduction campaigns.
- Global nutrition policies
The double burden of malnutrition is an important public health issue in many countries and territories. Although ending all forms of malnutrition is set as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), undernutrition and overnutrition are addressed separately from each other in policies and interventions. Double-duty actions for nutrition have been proposed as solutions that are simultaneously effective or multiple forms of malnutrition, but these policies still tend to focus on mothers and children. Double-duty actions should be considered for a wider population, similar to the policies that have been executed traditionally in Japan.
＜Publication＞
Nomura M, Yamaguchi M, Nishi N.
Global Trends in Double-Duty Actions for Nutrition as an Intervention for the Double Burden of Malnutrition
The Japanese Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 2022;80(1):60-68. doi:10.5264/eiyogakuzashi.80.60 - Evaluation of nutrition policies in Japan
We are currently applying health economic simulation models to evaluate the effects of nutrition policies in Japan, using system dynamics models, Markov models, and the cost of illness approach.