European Journal of Health Economics最新文献

{"title":"Revisiting health state preferences after 20 years: A new EQ-5D-3L value set for the Netherlands.","authors":"Bram Roudijk, Marcel F Jonker","doi":"10.1007/s10198-025-01892-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10198-025-01892-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Value sets for the EQ-5D-3L have been developed since the 1990's, using methods that are now considered outdated. The Dutch EQ-5D-3L value set was developed using data collected in 2003, and population's preferences may have shifted over time. Consequently, the existing value set may no longer accurately represent the preferences of the Dutch general population. This study aims to develop a new EQ-5D-3L value set using state-of-the-art methods and compare it with the existing value set.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A nationally representative sample of 417 Dutch adults, stratified by age and sex, completed 12 composite time trade-off (cTTO) tasks via online EuroQol Valuation Technology interviews. The data were modelled using a Tobit model that accounts for heteroskedasticity and the censored nature of cTTO data. Agreement between the new and existing value set was assessed using Bland-Altman and scatter plots.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pain/discomfort and mobility were the most important dimensions in the new value set, whereas pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression were most important in the existing value set. The lowest health state value was - 0.723, considerably lower than the - 0.329 of the existing value set. The Bland-Altman and scatter plots indicated limited agreement between the two value sets.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The new Dutch EQ-5D-3L value set differs substantially from the existing value set. We recommend its adoption and replacement of the previous value set. Our findings suggest that other countries with older value sets should consider similar updates to ensure accurate representation of contemporary societal preferences.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":"1351-1357"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13451369/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145953881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Productivity costs associated with premature deaths due to acute myocardial infarction in Spain: analysis from 2013 to 2022.","authors":"Josep Darbà, Meritxell Ascanio, Antonio Rodríguez","doi":"10.1007/s10198-025-01881-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10198-025-01881-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Acute myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of death in Spain and a contributor to productivity loss. This condition represents an economic burden, involving significant indirect costs. Our objective here is to estimate premature deaths and productivity losses due to acute myocardial infarction in Spain during the period 2013-2022.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Productivity costs were estimated using a simulation model based on the human capital method. Mortality rates, average salaries, and employment rates were collected for the entire study period.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After the analysis, acute myocardial infarction was identified as the leading cause of premature deaths related to cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 24% over the 10-year period. Additionally, an annual average of 26,935 YPLPLL was determined, with total productivity losses estimated at €5574.31 million, showing an upward trend over the reference period 2013-2022.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study concludes by emphasizing the economic burden associated with acute myocardial infarction, which can assist decision-makers in allocating resources more efficiently.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":"1251-1259"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145859028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How tax structures for retail cannabis shape cannabis use among youth and young adults: evidence from a volumetric choice experiment.","authors":"Lei Xu, Yanyun He, Hojin Park, Shiqi Zhang, Shaoying Ma, Ce Shang","doi":"10.1007/s10198-025-01875-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10198-025-01875-3","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Despite ongoing debates about cannabis regulation, little is known about how tax policy design influences cannabis use among U.S. adolescents and young adults (AYAs). With states adopting diverse taxation schemes based on weight, price, or product potency, evaluating how these approaches affect consumption is critical for evidence-based policymaking.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim: &lt;/strong&gt;This study uses a split sample volumetric choice experiment (VCE) to examine how variations in pretax prices, tax bases, tax rates, and THC levels influence both the amount of cannabis consumed and the overall intake of THC among US AYAs aged 15-20. We also estimate the own-price elasticities for four cannabis forms (legal flower, illegal flower, edibles, and cartridges) and cross-price elasticities between these products.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We use a nationally representative sample of 1,100 AYA who reported current use or susceptibility to use and completed a set of hypothetical purchase tasks featuring choices among four product forms (legal flower, illegal flower, edibles, cartridges). Respondents were randomized to three tax bases: weight-, price-, or potency-based taxation, where pre-tax price levels, tax rates, and THC levels additionally vary. We estimated own- and cross-price elasticities and assessed how AYA current and susceptible users adjusted cannabis consumption in response to the varying attributes using zero-inflated negative binomial and fixed effects models.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Higher pre-tax prices and elevated tax rates significantly reduce both purchase quantities and total THC intake among current and susceptible AYA users. Products with higher THC levels increased THC intake but did not affect quantity consumption, suggesting that these users continue to purchase similar quantities but opt for more potent products. Compared to weight-based taxation, potency-based taxes (i.e., THC) were associated with a 30%-32% increase in cannabis quantity consumption. The price elasticities of cannabis demand were -0.3, with edibles being complements to other forms and illegal flowers being substitutes for legal flowers and cartridges. Compared to weight-based taxes, THC-based taxes significantly reduce the impact of THCs in increasing THC consumption. Finally, the impact of taxes on reducing THC consumption from legal products may be completely offset by shifting from legal to illegal products.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;For AYAs who are using or susceptible to using cannabis, tax increases can effectively reduce the quantity and THC consumption, albeit a tax rate beyond 60% of pretax prices or equivalent generating no additional reductions. Compared to weight-based taxes, potency-based and price-based taxes reduce the consumption of high THC products, but potency-based taxes may also increase the consumption of low THC products. Given that higher prices on cartridges and edibles do not drive AYAs' ","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":"1191-1212"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12922899/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145851345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging success in the labour market: does continuity of general practitioners' care matter for individuals with common mental disorders?","authors":"M Kamrul Islam, Håvard Thorsen Rydland, Egil Kjerstad","doi":"10.1007/s10198-025-01882-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10198-025-01882-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mental illnesses impose substantial burdens on individuals, families, and society, encompassing both severe personal consequences and high societal costs. This study examines whether improved continuity of care with regular general practitioners (RGP-CoC) is associated with better labour market outcomes for individuals diagnosed with common mental disorders (CMDs). Using administrative registry data for 139,873 individuals with CMDs (N = 371,825 observations) from 2014/15 to 2017/18, we construct RGP-CoC indices within rolling two-year windows and track labour market outcomes over subsequent one-year periods. We employ a lagged design and high-dimensional fixed-effects models to robustly assess the association between RGP-CoC and labour market outcomes over the period 2016-2019. Our findings show that higher RGP-CoC is associated with improved labour market outcomes, with stronger and more robust effects observed for wage income than for employment probability. We also find a significant negative association between RGP-CoC and the likelihood of sickness absence. While the effects vary across education levels, no significant gender differences are observed. These findings highlight the vital role of RGP continuity of care in improving labour market participation and earnings, especially for individuals with CMDs. Enhancing continuity with a regular GP as a core quality metric in primary care can inform healthcare policy and support broader goals of economic inclusion.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":"1277-1291"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13451221/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The economic burden of neurological disorders in Europe - COIN-Eu: Study design and analytic framework.","authors":"Uwe Siebert, M Arvandi, P Boon, C L A Bassetti, T Berger, E Moro, M Montes-Martinez, L Welter, C Kruse, M Konti, M Lolich, S Puntscher, N Mühlberger, G Deuschl, R Dodel","doi":"10.1007/s10198-026-01965-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-026-01965-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Neurological disorders are a leading cause of disability, morbidity, and mortality globally, imposing a substantial and growing economic burden. In Europe, several factors including demographic aging and improved diagnostics have increased the prevalence of these conditions. Despite their significant societal impact, comprehensive and comparable estimates of the economic burden of neurological disorders across Europe remain limited. Existing studies are mostly outdated, disease-specific, or geographically narrow. The Cost Of Illness in Neurology in EUrope (COIN-Eu) study addresses this gap by developing a standardized framework to assess the disease- and country-specific economic burden of major neurological disorders across all 47 member countries of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This burden-of-disease study employs a prevalence-based approach to estimate three key economic measures per disorder and country: (1) annual per-patient costs by cost type, (2) total annual costs on a national level, and (3) relative total costs as a percentage of GDP. The study includes twelve major neurological disorder groups affecting adults (≥ 20 years). Epidemiological data are primarily sourced from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, supplemented by systematic literature reviews where necessary. Cost data are extracted from systematic reviews of peer-reviewed publications and converted to 2019 Euros using standardized procedures. Data gaps are addressed through structured imputations based on income group stratification. Final estimates are validated by an expert panel from the EAN.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The framework enables the generation of harmonized cost estimates across countries and disorders, accounting for direct and informal care costs and indirect costs. Expert review ensured plausibility and consistency of the results.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The COIN-Eu study framework provides a comprehensive and transparent methodology to estimate the economic burden of neurological disorders in Europe. It facilitates evidence-based health policy planning, highlights data gaps, and supports future cross-national burden-of-disease assessments in neurology and beyond.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148609943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Safety and economic benefits of early hospital-at-home transfer after kidney transplantation: a propensity-score matched study from Spain.","authors":"David Cucchiari, Anna Aldea, Albert Baronet, Beatriu Bayés, Celia Cardozo, Eva Castells, Emmanuel Coloma, Fritz Diekmann, Nuria Esforzado, Nicole García-Pouton, Ángela Gonzalez-Rojas, Carlos Lopera, Mireia Musquera, Sonia Perea, Irene Pereta, Anna Pérez, Rosa Ramos, Olga Raventos, Ignacio Revuelta, Verónica Rico, Diana Rodriguez-Espinosa, Marta Sala, Nuria Seijas, Ainoa Ugarte, David Nicolás","doi":"10.1007/s10198-026-01963-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-026-01963-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Kidney transplant units worldwide face the challenge of decreasing length of hospital stay (LOHS) after transplantation, while maintaining optimal outcomes and excellence in care. The Hospital-at-Home (HaH) model has already been applied with this goal after complex surgical procedures, but evidence in solid-organ transplantation is lacking. At our Institution, we implemented a protocol for early transfer at HaH for kidney transplant recipients (KTR) starting from post-operative day 4. We report herein the outcomes of the first 100 KTRs managed with this protocol, compared with a historical cohort from a time-period (2013-2019) when the HaH protocol was not operative yet. Controls were 1:1 matched with a propensity score (PSM) using a caliper of 0.05 on 13 key donor and recipients' characteristics, type of immunosuppression and delayed graft function. Results show no differences for 1-year rejection, renal function, patient and graft survival. Importantly, patients transferred to HaH had significantly shorter median LOHS (5[4-6] versus 9[8-15] days, P < 0.001). The median duration of HaH admission was 5[3-11] days. The combined duration of hospital plus HaH admission in the modern cohort (10[8-18] days) was not different from historical cohort LOHS (P = 0.117). Readmission rates at 30 and 90 days were similar between groups. This optimized management translated into lower costs of the HaH cohort (31874 ± 9114 versus 35780 ± 15720€, P = 0.033) for the whole transplantation process, mainly driven by reduced ward stay and in-hospital medication. We conclude that, in our experience, early transfer to HaH after transplantation optimized health-associated resources, while maintaining adequate clinical outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148610008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychometric properties comparison of EQ-5D-Y-3L and CHU-9D in children with adenoid hypertrophy.","authors":"Xue Wan, Junyan Liang, Jiaxue Fan, Mingqi Peng, Jing Zhou, Hua You","doi":"10.1007/s10198-026-01974-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-026-01974-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of two preference-based instruments, EQ-5D-Y-3 L and CHU-9D, in assessing the health-related quality of life of children with adenoid hypertrophy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>EQ-5D-Y-3 L and CHU-9D were completed in a random sequence by children with adenoid hypertrophy (aged 8-15years) from three hospitals in XX city. The instruments were systematically compared for distribution, ceiling effects, agreement, construct validity, known‑groups validity, and discriminative ability (via AUC, relative efficiency, orthogonal polynomial contrasts, and ANCOVA) in distinguishing disease severity levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study compared the performance of the EQ-5D-Y-3 L and CHU-9D in 644 children with adenoid hypertrophy (mean age 10.63 years). The two instruments showed poor agreement (ICC = 0.691). In discriminating disease severity, the CHU-9D demonstrated superior sensitivity, with larger effect sizes (η²=0.257), and its relative efficiency suggested approximately 1.39 times greater overall discriminative ability (reference: EQ-5D-Y-3 L = 1). However, pairwise Cohen's d values were small for both instruments (range:0.108-0.163). ANCOVA confirmed these advantages persisted after adjusting for covariates.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The EQ-5D-Y-3L and CHU-9D were not interchangeable in children with adenoid hypertrophy. The CHU-9D showed superior discriminatory sensitivity, larger global effect sizes, and better model fit, particularly in detecting mild to moderate disease changes. Therefore, in health economic evaluations, the CHU-9D may be more suitable when the study aim is to identify early-stage or subtle health changes. In contrast, the EQ-5D-Y-3L provides a more stable model for assessing a consistent linear relationship between disease severity and health utility. Researchers should select the instrument based on clearly defined study objectives, while acknowledging that the observed pairwise effect sizes were modest and warrant further validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148609952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Income-related inequalities in ACSC hospitalization in Canada: evidence from 2005-2019 surveys linked with hospitalization and tax data.","authors":"Nazire Begen, M Karen Campbell, Rose Anne Devlin, Saverio Stranges, Sisira Sarma","doi":"10.1007/s10198-026-01961-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-026-01961-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines income-related inequalities in hospitalizations due to ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) in Canada, using linked data from the Canadian Community Health Surveys (2005-2019), the Discharge Abstract Database, and the T1 Family File across nine provinces. We quantify inequalities in ACSC hospitalizations using the Erreygers concentration index (ECI) and ACSC hospitalization costs using the standard concentration index (CI). The recentered influence function-ordinary least squares estimator (RIF-CI/ECI-OLS) was used to decompose income inequalities in ACSC hospitalizations. Additionally, the RIF-based Blinder-Oaxaca (BO) method decomposes disparities by sex, age, income, and rurality. ECI/CI findings reveal that ACSC hospitalizations are disproportionately concentrated among lower-income individuals (ECI: -0.0040 to -0.0060; CI: -0.2519 to -0.3957). Individuals above the low-income cut-off group (ECI: -0.0040 to -0.0051; CI: -0.2582, to -0.3465), older adults (ECI: -0.0033 to -0.0178; CI: -0.0806 to -0.3631) and those living in rural areas (ECI: -0.0057 to -0.0112; CI: -0.2779 to -0.3829) experience relatively greater inequalities. Individuals aged 66-74 years, those with less than secondary education, those with multimorbidity, and widowed, separated, and divorced individuals are associated with increased inequality, whereas those from the low-income cut-off group and immigrants are associated with reduced inequality. The RIF-based BO decomposition analysis reveals significant income-related inequalities in ACSC hospitalization and ACSC hospitalization costs by age and rurality. Our findings suggest that targeted policies may be necessary to enhance access to primary care for older adults, individuals with multimorbidity, low-income individuals, and those living in rural areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148609971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychometric benefits of adding four bolt-ons (skin irritation, self-confidence, social relationships and sleep) to EQ-5D-5L compared to PROMIS-29 and Skindex-16 in patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.","authors":"Sandra N Naguib, Zhuxin Mao, Dina G Saadi, Aureliano Finch, Maggie Abbassi, Samar Farid","doi":"10.1007/s10198-026-01970-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-026-01970-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the impact of adding four bolt-ons (skin irritation (SI), self-confidence (SE), social relationships (SR) and sleep (SL)) on psychometric performance of EQ-5D-5L and compare it to PROMIS-29 and Skindex-16 in patients with psoriasis (Ps) and atopic dermatitis (AD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Paper-based questionnaires were completed by 125 Ps and 111 AD patients at dermatology outpatient clinics in Egypt, most had moderate-to-severe disease. Psychometric evaluation included ceiling effect, informativity, convergent validity, explanatory power for variances in EQ VAS, and the discriminatory ability across severity subgroups defined by clinical and patient reported indices. Both dimension-level scores and Level Sum Scores (LSS), standardized to a 5-25 scale, were used to assess the psychometric performance of EQ-5D-5L with bolt-ons.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The EQ-5D-5L showed a low ceiling effect (3.4%), which was eliminated after adding SI bolt-on and reduced to 1.3-3% with the other three bolt-ons. PROMIS-29 and Skindex-16 showed no ceiling effect. Average relative informativity was highest for PROMIS-29 (0.96), followed by EQ-5D-5L+bolt-ons (0.9) and Skindex-16 (0.85). Known-group validity analyses showed that adding bolt-ons produced the highest relative efficiency, outperforming both the core EQ-5D-5L and Skindex-16. EQ-5D-5L + SI explained 51% of EQ VAS variance in Ps, while the combination of all bolt-ons explained 39% in AD; PROMIS-29 and Skindex-16 explained 25% and 21%, respectively. Convergent validity supported predefined hypotheses, with SI and SL showing strongest correlations with clinical outcomes. However, strong correlations were observed between SR and SE with Anxiety/Depression in Ps group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adding bolt-ons enhanced EQ-5D-5L performance across all psychometric properties, making it an acceptable alternative to Skindex-16 in Ps and AD. SI and SL consistently showed the greatest benefits. SE and SR showed selective benefits. Longitudinal data will be published separately.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148609936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating the health-related quality of life burden attributable to illicit drug use in Australian adults.","authors":"Syed Afroz Keramat, Rezwanul Rana, Addisu Shunu Beyene, Rabeya Basri, Lan Gao","doi":"10.1007/s10198-026-01948-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-026-01948-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Illicit drug use poses a significant global public health challenge, affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and contributing to disease burden. Illicit drug use is also linked to substantial adverse health and social outcomes, including mental health disorders and chronic physical morbidities. This study addresses a critical research gap by examining the association between illicit drug use and HRQoL in Australian adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study utilised data from two waves (wave 17 [2017] and wave 21 [2021]) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey and analysed a pooled dataset comprising 29,811 person-year observations from 18,295 unique individuals. HRQoL was assessed using the Physical Component Summary (PCS), the Mental Component Summary (MCS), the Short-Form Six-Dimension utility index (SF-6D), and the eight dimensions of the SF-36 health survey. The study defined illicit drug use as self-reported use of any of the following six drug types in the past 12 months: marijuana/cannabis, methamphetamine/amphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, and any other illicit drug (e.g., heroin, GHB, ketamine, K2, and synthetics). A binary variable was created to indicate whether an individual used any of these drugs during the specified period. The random-effects generalised least squares (GLS) estimation technique was used to quantify the relationships between illicit drug use and HRQoL.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After adjusting for a comprehensive set of covariates, the findings revealed a significant negative association between illicit drug use and mental health. Individuals who reported illicit drug use had markedly lower MCS scores (β = -2.29, 95% CI: -2.68, -1.89) compared to non-users. Furthermore, illicit drug use was associated with a significant reduction in SF-6D utility values (β = -0.022, 95% CI: -0.026, -0.018), highlighting the adverse impact on overall HRQoL among adults. Illicit drug use was associated with reduced MCS scores and SF-6D utility values across genders and age groups, with greater reduction among young adults aged 15-29 years [(MCS = -2.30, 95% CI: -2.92, -1.68) and (SF-6D = -0.021, 95% CI: -0.027, -0.015)], and male drug users [(MCS = -2.46, 95% CI: -2.93, -1.99), and (SF-6D = -0.021, 95% CI: -0.026, -0.016)].</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study findings confirmed that individuals who use illicit drugs experience significantly lower HRQoL than their peers. Additionally, the study provided a specific disutility value for illicit drug use, offering crucial data for future evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of drug harm reduction programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":51416,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Health Economics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148609995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}