I am happy to be back to writing after a year-long break to celebrate the first year of motherhood! To start off, I have decided to focus on a new study published in JAMA Network Open that explored the potential benefits and return on investment of implementing a lifestyle intervention to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. I am back to writing regularly and excited to see progress in post-COVID HEOR landscape.
The aforementioned study aimed to evaluate the economic feasibility of such interventions and their potential to improve health outcomes for both mother and child. Dr. Lloyd et.al. leveraged a modeling approach to estimate the costs and benefits of implementing a lifestyle intervention for pregnant women at risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as gestational diabetes and hypertension. The intervention included dietary changes, physical activity promotion, and behavioral support.
The study was carried out in Australia and the study population was all Australian women projected to give birth in the years 2022 to 2026 (approximately 330 000 per year). The intervention were in the form of structured diet and physical activity provided by trained health professionals and compared against usual care which didn’t include structured lifestyle intervention (usual in Australia)
The research found that implementing the lifestyle intervention resulted in Return on investment (ROI) ratio for lifestyle intervention of 4.75 over the 5-year program i.e. AUD $4.75 for every AUD $1.00 ($4.73 USD for every $1.00 USD)) invested.
The findings of the study suggest that investing in lifestyle intervention programs for pregnant women can be a cost-effective strategy for improving pregnancy outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and generating economic benefits. The study highlights the potential economic benefits of a proactive approach to promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors during pregnancy.
Reference
Lloyd M, Teede H, Bailey C, Callander E, Ademi Z. Projected Return on Investment From Implementation of a Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(9):e2230683. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.30683
