Adelaide: Research from the University of Adelaide shows that the additional cost
of providing one-on-one lifestyle advice to overweight and obese women
during pregnancy is offset by improved outcomes at birth. Researchers from the University's Robinson Research Institute
ran an economic evaluation in parallel with the world's biggest study
offering healthy eating and exercise advice to overweight or obese
pregnant women. The results of the economic analysis, published in the journal BMC Obesity,
show that a range of improvements in health outcomes led to reduced
healthcare costs both for the woman and her infant. This resulted in
the project being cost neutral.
"Poor outcomes at birth are
associated with significant additional healthcare costs, both for women
and their babies. We wanted to know whether or not the lifestyle advice
we provided to women was cost effective, as well as helping to impact
on clinical outcomes," says the study's lead author, Professor Jodie Dodd, from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute and the Women's and Children's Hospital.
The
researchers had previously reported that the women's changes in diet
and physical activity were directly associated with significant
improvements in outcomes for babies, such as: a reduction in the number
of babies born over 4kg; a reduced chance of moderate to severe
respiratory distress syndrome; and reduced length of stay in hospital.
"Overall,
the increase in costs associated with providing the lifestyle
intervention for pregnant women was offset by savings associated with
improved outcomes at birth, making the intervention cost effective,"
Professor Dodd says.
Obesity during pregnancy is a major issue,
with approximately 50% of women overweight or obese during pregnancy.
This was the first major study of its kind investigating the overall
benefits of dietary and lifestyle interventions on this group of women.
"Internationally
as well as here in Adelaide, researchers are concerned about the impact
of overweight and obesity during pregnancy. Our research indicates
that quite modest changes in a woman’s diet while pregnant can
significantly impact the health of her baby," Professor Dodd says.
This
week, the international Obesity in Pregnancy Research And Translation
Alliance has been meeting in Adelaide to discuss the future of research
into obesity in pregnancy. "How we take the next steps to translate
research findings into clinical practice will be important to the future
health of our population," Professor Dodd says.
This research has been funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).