A gender perspective of smoking cessation's health and economic value in Jordanian women: using cost effectiveness model.

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of smoking among Jordanian females has risen significantly from 10.1% in 2000 to 12.8% in 2022. (Who smokes more, men or women? - Our World in Data), it is imperative to recognize the global scope of this issue, which encompasses both genders. Furthermore, it is vital to discern potential sex-specific variations in the health and economic consequences of smoking cessation. This study aims to investigate the cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions specifically tailored for Jordanian women.

Methodology: This study employs a pharmacoeconomic analysis to evaluate the potential cost effectiveness of JFDA-approved smoking cessation medications within the context of Jordanian women. The analysis focused primarily on a comparative assessment of two registered medications in Jordan, varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), encompassing nicotine patches and lozenges. These interventions are juxtaposed against a control group representing the current standard practice of medical counseling with no medication use from the Ministry of Health's payer perspective.

Results: For a cohort comprising 82,512 Jordanian female smokers seeking to quit, the varenicline regimen yielded a gain of 13,151 life years compared with the 7,265 life years gained with the NRT regimen compared with the no-intervention scenario. The cost per life-year gained was found to be JD 1,689.50 ($ 2383.3) for varenicline and JD 1,892.48. ($2669.63) for NRT. The sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the findings.

Discussion: The notably high cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in females underscores the importance of tailoring approaches to address the needs of female smokers who express an intention to quit. This research highlights the imperative of offering smoking cessation aids to facilitate efforts to quit smoking.