TY - JOUR
T1 - Contingent valuation scenarios for chronic illnesses
T2 - The case of childhood asthma
AU - Brandt, Sylvia
AU - Vásquez Lavín, Felipe
AU - Hanemann, William
N1 - Funding Information:
Source of financial support: This research was funded through the US EPA-STAR Valuation of Human Health Program (R-82966501, Valuing Reduced Asthma Morbidity in Children). The project FONDECYT 11090005 provided partial support for Felipe Vasquez. This article has not been formally reviewed by the EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of the authors, and the EPA does not endorse any product or commercial services mentioned in the publication.
PY - 2012/12
Y1 - 2012/12
N2 - Objectives: We use a contingent valuation (CV) study of childhood asthma to discuss a central issue in designing CV studies of chronic illness-the need for a detailed, realistic scenario that minimizes confounding factors-and show how to address this issue. We apply our methodology to estimate households' willingness to pay (WTP) for reductions in asthma morbidity. Methods: By using a combination of focus groups, revealed preference surveys, and epidemiological surveys, we gathered information on health status, attitudes, and beliefs regarding asthma, risk-averting behaviors, perceptions of these behaviors, and household socioeconomic characteristics. We used this information to design a CV survey that we extensively tested for validity. In the survey, we elicited participants' WTP for a hypothetical device that would reduce symptom-days by improving asthma management; these data enabled us to estimate household WTP by using a variety of econometric models. Results: Our analysis of households with children with asthma yielded the following conclusions: the scenario should address both physical asthma symptoms and the psychosocial stress of managing a chronic illness; the survey should measure household perceptions of the burden of asthma in addition to objective measures such as symptom-days; and the scenario should not involve substantial behavioral changes or a new medication, to avoid confounding household preferences with unrelated attributes of the scenario. Our primary models estimated mean household WTP for a 50% reduction in symptom-days (and accompanying reductions in psychosocial stress) at $56.48 to $64.84 per month. Conclusions: Our methodology can be used to inform CV studies of chronic illness. Our WTP estimates can help regulatory agencies assess a wide range of policies that affect the incidence or severity of asthma.
AB - Objectives: We use a contingent valuation (CV) study of childhood asthma to discuss a central issue in designing CV studies of chronic illness-the need for a detailed, realistic scenario that minimizes confounding factors-and show how to address this issue. We apply our methodology to estimate households' willingness to pay (WTP) for reductions in asthma morbidity. Methods: By using a combination of focus groups, revealed preference surveys, and epidemiological surveys, we gathered information on health status, attitudes, and beliefs regarding asthma, risk-averting behaviors, perceptions of these behaviors, and household socioeconomic characteristics. We used this information to design a CV survey that we extensively tested for validity. In the survey, we elicited participants' WTP for a hypothetical device that would reduce symptom-days by improving asthma management; these data enabled us to estimate household WTP by using a variety of econometric models. Results: Our analysis of households with children with asthma yielded the following conclusions: the scenario should address both physical asthma symptoms and the psychosocial stress of managing a chronic illness; the survey should measure household perceptions of the burden of asthma in addition to objective measures such as symptom-days; and the scenario should not involve substantial behavioral changes or a new medication, to avoid confounding household preferences with unrelated attributes of the scenario. Our primary models estimated mean household WTP for a 50% reduction in symptom-days (and accompanying reductions in psychosocial stress) at $56.48 to $64.84 per month. Conclusions: Our methodology can be used to inform CV studies of chronic illness. Our WTP estimates can help regulatory agencies assess a wide range of policies that affect the incidence or severity of asthma.
KW - asthma
KW - attitudes and beliefs
KW - chronic illnesses
KW - contingent valuation
KW - quality of life
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jval.2012.07.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jval.2012.07.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 23244810
AN - SCOPUS:84871255128
SN - 1098-3015
VL - 15
SP - 1077
EP - 1083
JO - Value in Health
JF - Value in Health
IS - 8
ER -