Table 3. Cost-Utility Analysis at Different Stages of Intervention.
| Indicator | Intervention group | Control group | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt substitute vs regular salt | |||
| For 1 ya | |||
| Cost, US$ | 42.44 | 52.21 | −9.77 |
| Utility, QALYs (95% CI)b | −0.107 (−0.188 to −0.027) | −0.139 (−0.232 to −0.046) | 0.039 (−0.100 to 0.178) |
| For 2 ya | |||
| Cost, US$ | 76.27 | 102.22 | −25.95 |
| Utility, QALYs (95% CI)b | −0.268 (−0.375 to −0.161) | −0.345 (−0.468 to −0.223) | 0.093 (−0.106 to 0.293) |
| Restricted supply vs usual supply | |||
| For 1 yc | |||
| Cost, US$ | 43.04 | 52.04 | −9.00 |
| Utility, QALYs (95% CI)b | −0.133 (−0.222 to −0.044) | −0.113 (−0.199 to −0.027) | −0.015 (−0.154 to 0.125) |
| For 2 yc | |||
| Cost, US$ | 89.66 | 88.94 | 0.71 |
| Utility, QALYs (95% CI)b | −0.314 (−0.430 to −0.199) | −0.298 (−0.413 to −0.183) | −0.001 (−0.201 to 0.199) |
Abbreviation: QALY, quality-adjusted life year.
Indicates that this strategy resulted in a cost-saving incremental cost-utility ratio. The term cost-saving refers to an intervention with negative incremental costs and positive incremental costs, indicating a highly cost-effective measure.
The difference in utility was derived from a linear mixed model, with adjustment for baseline value and clustering effect at the facility level. The SD of QALY values was large because we considered the discounted lifetime QALY loss of cardiovascular deaths in the calculation of QALY change. In probabilistic sensitivity analyses, the plausibility range was assumed to be 25% above or below the base value.
Indicates that this strategy resulted in a dominated incremental cost-utility ratio. The term dominated refers to an intervention with negative incremental effects, signifying an intervention that is not cost-effective.