Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29017527›Full record

Trial reportBMC public health2017

Potential return on investment of a family-centered early childhood intervention: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Negin Hajizadeh, Elizabeth R Stevens, Melanie Applegate, Keng-Yen Huang, Dimitra Kamboukos, R Scott Braithwaite, Laurie M Brotman

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC public health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Interventions to prevent obesity in children aged 2 to 4 years old.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Negin HajizadehDepartment of Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 300 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA. nhajizadeh@northwell.edu.
Elizabeth R StevensDepartment of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 227 E. 30th St, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
Melanie ApplegateDepartment of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 227 E. 30th St, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
Keng-Yen HuangDepartment of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 227 E. 30th St, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
Dimitra KamboukosDepartment of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 227 E. 30th St, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
R Scott BraithwaiteDepartment of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 227 E. 30th St, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
Laurie M BrotmanDepartment of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 227 E. 30th St, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
New York University · USHofstra University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundParentCorps is a family-centered enhancement to pre-kindergarten programming in elementary schools and early education centers. When implemented in high-poverty, urban elementary schools serving primarily Black and Latino children, it has been found to yield benefits in childhood across domains of academic achievement, behavior problems, and obesity. However, its long-term cost-effectiveness is unknown.

methodsWe determined the cost-effectiveness of ParentCorps in high-poverty, urban schools using a Markov Model projecting the long-term impact of ParentCorps compared to standard pre-kindergarten programming. We measured costs and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) resulting from the development of three disease states (i.e., drug abuse, obesity, and diabetes); from the health sequelae of these disease states; from graduation from high school; from interaction with the judiciary system; and opportunity costs of unemployment with a lifetime time horizon. The model was built, and analyses were performed in 2015-2016.

resultsParentCorps was estimated to save $4387 per individual and increase each individual's quality adjusted life expectancy by 0.27 QALYs. These benefits were primarily due to the impact of ParentCorps on childhood obesity and the subsequent predicted prevention of diabetes, and ParentCorps' impact on childhood behavior problems and the subsequent predicted prevention of interaction with the judiciary system and unemployment. Results were robust on sensitivity analyses, with ParentCorps remaining cost saving and health generating under nearly all assumptions, except when schools had very small pre-kindergarten programs.

conclusionsEffective family-centered interventions early in life such as ParentCorps that impact academic, behavioral and health outcomes among children attending high-poverty, urban schools have the potential to result in longer-term health benefits and substantial cost savings.

Indexed as

Academic SuccessChildChild Behavior DisordersChild, PreschoolCost-Benefit AnalysisFamilyFemaleHealth PromotionHumansMaleModels, StatisticalPediatric ObesityPovertyProgram EvaluationQuality-Adjusted Life YearsSchoolsBehavior problemsChildhoodMarkov modelObesityParentCorps

Identifiers

PMID29017527
PMCPMC5635549
OpenAlexW2762668669

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.