TY - JOUR
T1 - Economic evaluation of "healthy beginnings" an early childhood intervention to prevent obesity
AU - Hayes, Alison
AU - Lung, Tom
AU - Wen, Li Ming
AU - Baur, Louise
AU - Rissel, Chris
AU - Howard, Kirsten
PY - 2014/7
Y1 - 2014/7
N2 - Objective To determine the costs and cost-effectiveness of an early childhood home visiting program delivered to families in socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Sydney, Australia during 2007-2010. Methods Economic evaluation of a randomized controlled trial, the healthy beginnings (HB) trial, from the perspective of the health funder. Intervention resources were determined from local health district records in 2012 $AUD. Health-care resource utilization was determined through patient-level data linkage. Results The cost of HB intervention in the clinical trial over 2 years was $1309 per child (2012 $AUD). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $4230 per unit BMI avoided and $631 per 0.1 reduction in BMI z-score. It was estimated that the program could be delivered in practice for $709 per child; with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of $2697 per unit BMI avoided and $376 per 0.1 reduction in BMI z-score. Conclusions We present the first economic evaluation of an effective obesity prevention initiative in early childhood. HB is a moderately priced intervention with demonstrated effectiveness that offers similar or better value for money than existing obesity prevention or treatment interventions targeted at older children.
AB - Objective To determine the costs and cost-effectiveness of an early childhood home visiting program delivered to families in socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Sydney, Australia during 2007-2010. Methods Economic evaluation of a randomized controlled trial, the healthy beginnings (HB) trial, from the perspective of the health funder. Intervention resources were determined from local health district records in 2012 $AUD. Health-care resource utilization was determined through patient-level data linkage. Results The cost of HB intervention in the clinical trial over 2 years was $1309 per child (2012 $AUD). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $4230 per unit BMI avoided and $631 per 0.1 reduction in BMI z-score. It was estimated that the program could be delivered in practice for $709 per child; with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of $2697 per unit BMI avoided and $376 per 0.1 reduction in BMI z-score. Conclusions We present the first economic evaluation of an effective obesity prevention initiative in early childhood. HB is a moderately priced intervention with demonstrated effectiveness that offers similar or better value for money than existing obesity prevention or treatment interventions targeted at older children.
KW - Childhood obesity prevention
KW - Healthy Beginnings Trial
KW - socio-economic disadvantage
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84903546824&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/1003780
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/571372
U2 - 10.1002/oby.20747
DO - 10.1002/oby.20747
M3 - Article
C2 - 24639421
AN - SCOPUS:84903546824
SN - 1930-7381
VL - 22
SP - 1709
EP - 1715
JO - Obesity
JF - Obesity
IS - 7
ER -