Economic evaluation of the national school food standards across secondary schools in the Midlands, UK (the FUEL study): methodological challenges of undertaking health economics research within non-health settings

We found no clear evidence on the cost-effectiveness of the SFS in secondary schools, likely due to substantial variation in implementation and compliance across both mandated and non-mandated schools, as well as multiple challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, difficulties in collecting cost data from schools, and the complexity of the study context. This study highlights the challenges of primary cost data collection for evaluating complex interventions and the need to balance data accuracy with the resources required. As economic evaluations of school-based interventions become more common, there is a growing need to refine methods for such evaluations.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Published
2025-11-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01840-6
Primary Topic
Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Economic evaluation of the national school food standards across secondary schools in the Midlands, UK (the FUEL study): methodological challenges of undertaking health economics research within non-health settings

Kiya Hurley, Miranda Pallan, Suzanne Bartington, Ashley Adamson et al.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
article

Economic evaluation of the national school food standards across secondary schools in the Midlands, UK (the FUEL study): methodological challenges of undertaking health economics research within non-health settings

Kiya Hurley, Miranda Pallan, Suzanne Bartington, Ashley Adamson, Rhona Duff, Breanna Morrison, Tania Griffin, Suzanne Spence, Louise McLeman, Vahid Ravaghi, Maisie Rowland, Peymané Adab, Alice Sitch, Sandra Passmore, Irina Pokhilenko, Marie Murphy, Emma Frew, Emma Lancashire
article en

Abstract

We found no clear evidence on the cost-effectiveness of the SFS in secondary schools, likely due to substantial variation in implementation and compliance across both mandated and non-mandated schools, as well as multiple challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, difficulties in collecting cost data from schools, and the complexity of the study context. This study highlights the challenges of primary cost data collection for evaluating complex interventions and the need to balance data accuracy with the resources required. As economic evaluations of school-based interventions become more common, there is a growing need to refine methods for such evaluations.

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical ActivityVol. 22(1)
Birmingham City University (GB), University College Birmingham (GB), NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (GB), University of Bath (GB), University of Birmingham (GB), Newcastle University (GB)
National Institute for Health and Care Research, Department of Health and Social Care, University of Leeds, Public Health England
Openalex Percentile: Top 56%
Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.