Parents' Willingness to Pay for Pediatric Weight Management Programs

Objective: To examine parents' interest in continuing and willingness to pay (WTP) for 2 pediatric weight management programs following their participation.

Methods: Participants were parents of 2- to 12-year-old children with body mass index ≥ 85th percentile who participated in the Connect for Health trial. One group received enhanced primary care (EPC) and the other received EPC plus individualized coaching (EPC+C). At 1 year, we assessed parents' self-reported WTP for a similar program and the maximum amount ($/month) they would pay. We used multivariable regression to examine differences in WTP and WTP amount by intervention arm and by individual and family-level factors.

Results: Of 638 parents who completed the survey, 85% were interested in continuing and 38% of those parents were willing to pay (31% in the EPC group and 45% in the EPC+C group). The median amount parents were willing to pay was $25/month (interquartile range, $15-$50). In multivariable models, the EPC+C parents were more likely to endorse WTP than the EPC parents (odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.22). Parents of children with Hispanic/Latino versus white ethnicity and those reporting higher satisfaction with the program were also more likely to endorse WTP.

Conclusions: Most parents of children in a weight management program were interested in continuing it after it ended, but fewer were willing to pay out of pocket for it. A greater proportion of parents were willing to pay if the program included individualized health coaching.