Lifestyle intervention to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes: insights from HEOR – News Block

I am happy to be writing again after a year off to celebrate the first year of motherhood! To get started, I decided to focus on a new study published in JAMA Network Open that explored the potential benefits and ROI of implementing a lifestyle intervention to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. I have been writing regularly again and am excited to see the progress in the post-COVID HEOR landscape.

The aforementioned study aimed to assess the economic feasibility of such interventions and their potential to improve health outcomes for both mother and child. Dr Lloyd et al. used 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, promotion of physical activity, and behavioral support.

The study was conducted 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 was in the form of a structured diet and physical activity delivered by trained health professionals and was compared with usual care that did not include a structured lifestyle intervention (usual in Australia).

The research found that implementation of the lifestyle intervention resulted in a return on investment (ROI) ratio for the 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 study findings suggest that investing in lifestyle intervention programs for pregnant women may be a cost-effective strategy to improve pregnancy outcomes, reduce health care costs, and generate economic benefits. The study highlights the potential economic benefits of a proactive approach to promoting healthy lifestyle habits during pregnancy.

Reference

Lloyd M, Teede H, Bailey C, Callander E, Ademi Z. Projected return on investment from implementing a lifestyle intervention to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. JAMA Network Open. 2022;5(9):e2230683. doi:10.1001/jamannetworkopen.2022.30683