Health Research Economics, Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), Newcastle, NSW 2305, Australia.
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 18;19(16):10273. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191610273.
BackTrack is a multi-component, community-based program designed to build capacity amongst high-risk young people. The aim of this study was to conduct a benefit-cost analysis of BackTrack, which was implemented in Armidale, a rural town in New South Wales, Australia. Costs and benefits were identified, measured and valued in 2016 Australian dollars. Costs were estimated from program financial and administrative records. Benefits were estimated using a pre-post design and conservative economic assumptions. Benefits included education attendance or completion; employment; engagement with health service providers; reduced homelessness; economic productivity; reduced vandalism to local infrastructure; reduced youth crime; reduced engagement with the justice system; and program income generated by participants. The counterfactual baseline was zero educational outcome, based on discussions with BackTrack staff and expert informants. We tested this assumption compared to the assumption that participants had a Year 8 education. There was evidence of significant quantifiable improvements in several outcomes: high school attendance or completion, vocational education attendance or completion, unskilled or vocationally qualified employment and economic productivity. Reduced homelessness, engagement with health services and acquisition of job readiness skills, as well as reduced local infrastructure vandalism and reduced crime were further quantifiable improvements. The net social benefit of BackTrack was estimated at $3,267,967 with a benefit-cost ratio of 2.03, meaning that every dollar invested in BackTrack would return $2.03 in benefits. BackTrack represents a viable funding option for a government interested in addressing the needs of high-risk young people.
BackTrack 是一个多组件、基于社区的项目，旨在培养高风险年轻人的能力。本研究旨在对 BackTrack 进行效益成本分析，该项目在澳大利亚新南威尔士州的一个农村城镇阿米代尔实施。2016 年澳元对成本和效益进行了识别、衡量和评估。成本是根据项目财务和行政记录估算的。效益是使用前后设计和保守的经济假设来估算的。效益包括教育出勤率或完成率；就业；与卫生服务提供者的接触；减少无家可归；经济生产力；减少对当地基础设施的破坏；减少青少年犯罪；减少与司法系统的接触；以及参与者产生的项目收入。反事实基线是零教育成果，这是基于与 BackTrack 工作人员和专家信息提供者的讨论。我们测试了这个假设，即参与者接受了 8 年级教育，与这个假设进行了比较。有证据表明，在几个结果方面有显著的可量化的改善：高中出勤率或完成率、职业教育出勤率或完成率、非熟练或职业资格就业和经济生产力。减少无家可归、与卫生服务的接触和获得工作准备技能，以及减少对当地基础设施的破坏和减少犯罪，这些方面都有进一步的可量化的改善。BackTrack 的净社会效益估计为 3267967 美元，效益成本比为 2.03，这意味着每投资 1 美元在 BackTrack 上，就会获得 2.03 美元的收益。BackTrack 是政府为满足高风险年轻人的需求而选择的一种可行的资金来源。
