title: Economic evaluation of "healthy beginnings" an early childhood intervention to prevent obesity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lung
authors.forename: Li Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rissel
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics*; D006792:House Calls / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control*