Study objective: To describe the economics of UK school breakfast clubs, to estimate costs resulting from clubs and to investigate relationships between costs and outcomes.
Design: A postal survey of schools with a 1-year follow-up, a cluster randomized controlled trial, case studies, semi-structured interviews with parents and a secondary econometric analysis.
Setting: England, the UK.
Main results: Key economic differences were identified between clubs based in primary schools and those based in secondary schools in terms of both funding levels and cost structures. However, funding levels were not a significant determinant of the observed outcomes in either type of school.
Conclusions: For formal economic evaluation to succeed during implementation of a new initiative, a clearer understanding of relevant outcomes and the distinction between short- and long-term outcomes and potential individual, institutional and societal benefits are required from an early stage.