The cost-effectiveness of the MobileMums intervention to increase physical activity among mothers with young children: a Markov model informed by a randomised controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the cost-effectiveness of the MobileMums intervention. MobileMums is a 12-week programme which assists mothers with young children to be more physically active, primarily through the use of personalised SMS text-messages.


METHODS
A cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model to estimate and compare the costs and consequences of MobileMums and usual care.


METHODS
This study considers the cost-effectiveness of MobileMums in Queensland, Australia.


METHODS
A hypothetical cohort of over 36 000 women with a child under 1 year old is considered. These women are expected to be eligible and willing to participate in the intervention in Queensland, Australia.


METHODS
The model was informed by the effectiveness results from a 9-month two-arm community-based randomised controlled trial undertaken in 2011 and registered retrospectively with the Australian Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12611000481976). Baseline characteristics for the model cohort, treatment effects and resource utilisation were all informed by this trial.


METHODS
The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of MobileMums compared with usual care.


RESULTS
The intervention is estimated to lead to an increase of 131 QALYs for an additional cost to the health system of 1.1 million Australian dollars (AUD). The expected incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for MobileMums is 8608 AUD per QALY gained. MobileMums has a 98% probability of being cost-effective at a cost-effectiveness threshold of 64 000 AUD. Varying modelling assumptions has little effect on this result.


CONCLUSIONS
At a cost-effectiveness threshold of 64 000 AUD, MobileMums would likely be a cost-effective use of healthcare resources in Queensland, Australia.


BACKGROUND
Australian Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12611000481976.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Public Health and Social Work and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Edward
E
Burn
Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Public Health and Social Work and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Alison L
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1826-9588
AL
Marshall
Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Public Health and Social Work and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Yvette D
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5393-7142
YD
Miller
Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Public Health and Social Work and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Adrian G
AG
Barnett
The University of Queensland, School of Population Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Brianna S
BS
Fjeldsoe
Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Public Health and Social Work and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Nicholas
N
Graves
D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D040421:Cell Phone; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008390:Markov Chains; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060145:Text Messaging
Cost effectiveness; Economic evaluation; Exercise; behaviour change; mHealth