The determinants of growth failure in children under five in 25 low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Past studies have identified determinants of growth failure (GF) such as socio-economic, nutritional, parenting, and inequality factors. However, few studies investigate the numerous causes of GF across multiple countries. By analysing the data of children under five in 25 low and middle-income countries, this study aims to examine the correlations of determinants with GF to identify the strongest modifiable risk factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study design was used, and data were collected across 25 LMICs by the United Nations Children's Fund in 2019. Regions and households were randomly selected in participating LMICs. The four outcome measures were stunting, wasting, underweight and low body mass index (BMI). Results: Multilevel analysis was performed to identify the impact of country, suburb, and household levels on the variance of outcome variables. GF measures were significantly correlated with low gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (odds ratio (OR) = 2.482), rural areas (OR = 1.223), lack of health insurance (OR = 1.474), low maternal education (OR = 2.260), lack of plain water (OR = 1.402), poor maternal physical caregiving ability (OR = 1.112), low carbohydrate consumption (OR = 1.470), and continued breastfeeding in children >12 months old (OR = 0.802). Conclusions: By identifying key GF risk factors, this study may provide valuable insights for policymaking and interventions. This may allow the prioritisation of resources within countries for preventative measures to be developed.

Seemingly Unrelated Regression Analysis of the Cost and Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes of the REVAMP Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the 9-month cost and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes of resistance versus viral load testing strategies to manage virological failure in low-middle income countries. METHODS: We analyzed secondary outcomes from the REVAMP clinical trial: a pragmatic, open label, parallel-arm randomized trial investigating resistance versus viral load testing for individuals failing first-line treatment in South Africa and Uganda. We collected resource data, valued according to local cost data and used the 3-level version of EQ-5D to measure HRQOL at baseline and 9 months. We applied seemingly unrelated regression equations to account for the correlation between cost and HRQOL. We conducted intention-to-treat analyses with multiple imputation using chained equations for missing data and performed sensitivity analyses using complete cases. RESULTS: For South Africa, resistance testing and opportunistic infections were associated with statistically significantly higher total costs, and virological suppression was associated with lower total cost. Higher baseline utility, higher cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) count, and virological suppression were associated with better HRQOL. For Uganda, resistance testing and switching to second-line treatment were associated with higher total cost, and higher CD4 was associated with lower total cost. Higher baseline utility, higher CD4 count, and virological suppression were associated with better HRQOL. Sensitivity analyses of the complete-case analysis confirmed the overall results. CONCLUSION: Resistance testing showed no cost or HRQOL advantage in South Africa or Uganda over the 9-month REVAMP clinical trial.

Clinical and economic burden of benign and malignant skin lesions in renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Studies evaluating the economic burden of dermatological care in the transplant setting are currently not available in Australia. AIMS: To evaluate the clinical and economic burden of benign and malignant skin lesions in renal transplant recipients in Central Queensland. METHODS: A bottom-up approach was used to determine the clinical burden and direct costs from patient-level Medicare data obtained from Service Australia for skin lesions. RESULTS: Seventy-six percent of the renal transplant population in Central Queensland participated in this study. The median age was 57.0 years (standard deviation ± 13.6) and the majority (61.8%) of participants were men. The mean duration after transplant surgery was 99.9 months (interquartile range, 73.2-126.6 months). During a 2-year follow-up, 22 (40%) patients were diagnosed with benign skin lesions, 21 (38%) with nonmelanoma skin carcinoma (NMSC) and one (2%) with melanoma. There was a total of 231 visits to clinicians for diagnostic and therapeutic skin procedures and the direct costs to Medicare was $48 806 Australian Dollars (AUD) or $30 427 US Dollars (USD). Approximately 86% of the total direct costs was spent for nonNMSC and mean direct costs for NMSC was $763 AUD (or $476 USD). CONCLUSION: This Medicare data-based study provides further insight into the burgeoning clinical and economic burden of the care for benign and malignant skin lesions in the renal transplantation setting in Australia.

Can Administrative Health Data Improve the Gold Standard? Evidence from a Model of the Progression of Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI), remains one of the leading causes of death and disability globally but publications on the progression of MI using data from the real world are limited. Multistate models have been widely used to estimate transition rates between disease states to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of healthcare interventions. We apply a Bayesian multistate hidden Markov model to investigate the progression of MI using a longitudinal dataset from Queensland, Australia. Objective: To apply a new model to investigate the progression of myocardial infarction (MI) and to show the potential to use administrative data for economic evaluation and modeling disease progression. Methods: The cohort includes 135,399 patients admitted to public hospitals in Queensland, Australia, in 2010 treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Any subsequent hospitalizations of these patients were followed until 2015. This study focused on the sub-cohort of 8705 patients hospitalized for MI. We apply a Bayesian multistate hidden Markov model to estimate transition rates between health states of MI patients and adjust for delayed enrolment biases and misclassification errors. We also estimate the association between age, sex, and ethnicity with the progression of MI. Results: On average, the risk of developing Non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was 8.7%, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was 4.3%. The risk varied with age, sex, and ethnicity. The progression rates to STEMI or NSTEMI were higher among males, Indigenous, or elderly patients. For example, the risk of STEMI among males was 4.35%, while the corresponding figure for females was 3.71%. After adjustment for misclassification, the probability of STEMI increased by 1.2%, while NSTEMI increased by 1.4%. Conclusions: This study shows that administrative health data were useful to estimate factors determining the risk of MI and the progression of this health condition. It also shows that misclassification may cause the incidence of MI to be under-estimated.

Identifying compliant participants through data matching improved estimation of intervention efficacy: randomized trials with opt-in/opt-out strategies.

OBJECTIVES: We propose a data-matching approach to estimate intervention efficacy for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) when there is noncompliance to the allocated treatment with induced selection bias. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We considered a large RCT to compare health care costs and hospital length of stay 12 months after randomization. Participants allocated to the intervention group were eligible to receive health-coaching and disease-management services. An opt-out approach was adopted for recruitment. Control-group participants received usual care but were allowed to opt-in to receive the intervention. Using "nearest-neighbor"-matched data, we identified compliant participants in both arms to estimate intervention efficacy. Results were compared with intention-to-treat (ITT), instrumental-variable-adjusted ITT, per-protocol (PP), and as-treated (AT) analyses. RESULTS: The ITT estimated an intervention effect of a 1.5% reduction in cost, but 56.7% of intervention-group participants did not receive health coaching. The PP and AT found an increase in cost of 9.4% and 17.1%, respectively. The matching method estimated a 12.3% reduction in cost. After adjustment for baseline covariates, the intervention group had lower same-day admission cost (13.6%; 95% CI: 7.3%-20.0%; P < 0.001) and shorter hospital stay (11.2%; 95% CI: 2.6%-19.9%; P = 0.021). CONCLUSION: Opt-in/opt-out strategies in RCTs misled intervention comparisons and the matching approach improved estimation of intervention efficacy.

The Impact of Population-Based Disease Management Services on Health Care Utilisation and Costs: Results of the CAPICHe Trial.

BACKGROUND: Disease management programmes may improve quality of care, improve health outcomes and potentially reduce total healthcare costs. To date, only one very large population-based study has been undertaken and indicated reductions in hospital admissions > 10%. OBJECTIVE: We sought to confirm the effectiveness of population-based disease management programmes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative impact on healthcare utilisation and cost of participants the Costs to Australian Private Insurance - Coaching Health (CAPICHe) trial. DESIGN: Parallel-group randomised controlled trial, intention-to-treat analysis SETTING: Australian population PARTICIPANTS: Forty-four thousand four hundred eighteen individuals (18-90 years of age) with private health insurance and diagnosis of heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes, or low back pain, with predicted high cost claims for the following 12 months. INTERVENTION: Health coaching for disease management from Bupa Health Dialog, vs Usual Care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total cost of claims per member to the private health insurer 1 year post-randomisation for hospital admissions, including same-day, medical and prostheses hospital claims, excluding any maternity costs. Analysis was based on the intent-to-treat population. RESULTS: Estimated total cost 1 year post-randomisation was not significantly different (means: intervention group A$4934; 95% CI A$4823-A$5045 vs control group A$4868; 95% CI A$4680-A$5058; p = 0.524). However, the intervention group had significantly lower same-day admission costs (A$468; 95% CI A$454-A$482 vs A$508; 95% CI A$484-A$533; p = 0.002) and fewer same-day admissions per 1000 person-years (intervention group, 530; 95% CI 508-552 vs control group, 614; 95% CI 571-657; p = 0.002). Subgroup analyses indicated that the intervention group had significantly fewer admissions for patients with COPD and fewer same-day admissions for patients with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic disease health coaching was not effective to reduce the total cost after 12 months of follow-up for higher risk individuals with a chronic condition. Statistically significant changes were found with fewer same-day admissions; however, these did not translate into cost savings from a private health insurance perspective.

Dietary patterns of Australian children at three and five years of age and their changes over time: A latent class and latent transition analysis.

Consuming a healthy diet characterised by a variety of nutritious foods is essential for promoting and maintaining health and wellbeing, yet the diets of Australian children continue to fall well short of national healthy eating recommendations. This research endeavours to identify patterns of dietary intake in Australian children at three and five years of age and investigate associations between early childhood dietary patterns and socio-economic and demographic indicators and Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as identify changes in children's dietary patterns over time. Cross-sectional dietary patterns were derived for 1565 and 631 children aged three and five years, respectively using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), with changes over time analysed with Latent Transition Analysis (LTA). Demographic variables of interest included child sex, parental age, family status, and use of childcare services and socio-economic variables included education, income and employment status. Three patterns of dietary intake were identified at three years (Highly Unhealthy, Healthier and Moderately Unhealthy) and two patterns at five years (Unhealthy and Healthier). Children with younger mothers, working mothers, fathers with a higher BMI and living in a two-carer household were more likely to have unhealthy eating patterns at three years, and children with working mothers and living in a two-carer household were more likely to have unhealthy patterns of dietary intake at five years. Approximately one eighth of the sample transitioned from the healthier to unhealthy pattern of dietary intake from three to five years. The quality of Australian children's diets appears to be declining through the early childhood years, continuing to highlight the importance of nutrition policies and interventions targeted towards the early years of life.

Private Health Insurance Incentives in Australia: In Search of Cost-Effective Adjustments.

BACKGROUND: The appropriate structure, scope and cost of government incentives in the private health insurance (PHI) market is a matter of ongoing debate. OBJECTIVE: In order to inform policy decisions we designed a two-stage study to (1) model the uptake of PHI covering hospital treatment in Australia, and (2) identify the costs of various policy scenarios to the government. METHODS: Using a microsimulation with a cost-benefit component, we modelled the insurance decisions made by individuals who collectively represented the Australian insurance population in the financial year 2014-15. RESULTS: We found that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for PHI ranged from A$446 to A$1237 per year depending on age and income. Our policy scenarios showed a considerable range of impacts on the government budget (from A$4 billion savings to A$6 billion expense) and PHI uptake (from 3.4 million fewer to 2.5 million more individuals insured), with cost-effectiveness ranging from -A$305 to A$22,624 per additional person insured, relative to the status quo. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the scenario results we recommend policy adjustments that either increase the PHI uptake at a small per-person cost to the public budget or substantially reduce government subsidisation of PHI at a relatively small loss in terms of persons insured.

Increasing Capacity for the Treatment of Common Musculoskeletal Problems: A Non-Inferiority RCT and Economic Analysis of Corticosteroid Injection for Shoulder Pain Comparing a Physiotherapist and Orthopaedic Surgeon.

BACKGROUND: Role substitution is a strategy employed to assist health services manage the growing demand for musculoskeletal care. Corticosteroid injection is a common treatment in this population but the efficacy of its prescription and delivery by physiotherapists has not been established against orthopaedic standards. This paper investigates whether corticosteroid injection given by a physiotherapist for shoulder pain is as clinically and cost effective as that from an orthopaedic surgeon. METHODS: A double blind non-inferiority randomized controlled trial was conducted in an Australian public hospital orthopaedic outpatient service, from January 2013 to June 2014. Adults with a General Practitioner referral to Orthopaedics for shoulder pain received subacromial corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injection prescribed and delivered independently by a physiotherapist or a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. The main outcome measure was total Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) score at baseline, six and 12 weeks, applying a non-inferiority margin of 15 points. Secondary outcomes tested for superiority included pain, shoulder movement, perceived improvement, adverse events, satisfaction, quality of life and costs. RESULTS: 278 participants were independently assessed by the physiotherapist and the orthopaedic surgeon, with 64 randomised (physiotherapist 33, orthopaedic surgeon 31). There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups. Non-inferiority of injection by the physiotherapist was declared from total SPADI scores at 6 and 12 weeks (upper limit of the 95% one-sided confidence interval 13.34 and 7.17 at 6 and 12 weeks, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences between groups on any outcome measures at 6 or 12 weeks. From the perspective of the health funder, the physiotherapist was less expensive. CONCLUSIONS: Corticosteroid injection for shoulder pain, provided by a suitably qualified physiotherapist is at least as clinically effective, and less expensive, compared with similar care delivered by an orthopaedic surgeon. Policy makers and service providers should consider implementing this model of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry 12612000532808.

Contactable Non-responders Show Different Characteristics Compared to Lost to Follow-Up Participants: Insights from an Australian Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study.

Objective This research aims to identify predictors of attrition in a longitudinal birth cohort study in Australia and assess differences in baseline characteristics and responses in subsequent follow-up phases between contactable non-responders and uncontactable non-responders deemed "lost to follow-up (LTF)". Methods 3368 women recruited from three public hospitals in Southeast Queensland and Northern New South Wales during antenatal visits in 2006-2011 completed a baseline questionnaire to elicit information on multiple domains of exposures. A follow-up questionnaire was posted to each participant at 1 year after birth to obtain mother's and child's health and development information. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the association between exposures and respondents' status at 1 year. The effect of an inverse-probability-weighting method to adjust for non-response was studied. Results Overall attrition at 1-year was 35.4 %; major types of attrition were "contactable non-response" (27.6 %) and "LTF" (6.7 %). These two attrition types showed different responses at the 3-year follow-up and involved different predictors. Besides shared predictors (first language not English, higher risk of psychological distress, had smoked during pregnancy, higher levels of family conflict), distinguishable predictors of contactable non-responders were younger age, having moved home in the past year and having children under 16 in the household. Attrition rates increased substantially from 20 % in 2006 to 54 % in 2011. Conclusions This observed trend of increased attrition rates raises concern about the use of traditional techniques, such as "paper-based" questionnaires, in longitudinal cohort studies. The supplementary use of electronic communications, such as online survey tools and smart-device applications, could provide a better alternative.

The Relationship Between Maternal Education and Child Health Outcomes in Urban Australian Children in the First 12 Months of Life.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the relationship between maternal education and child health outcomes at 12 months of age in a cohort of children in urban Australia, and to determine whether this relationship could be explained by the intermediate factors of maternal health behaviour and the social environmental context. METHODS: Data were derived from The Environments for Health Living Griffith Birth Cohort Study. Women attending their third trimester antenatal appointment at one of three public hospitals were recruited between 2006 and 2010 and invited to complete a 48-item, baseline self-administered questionnaire. Twelve months following the birth of their baby, a follow-up questionnaire consisting of 63 items was distributed. RESULTS: Women for whom complete follow-up data were not available were different from women who did complete follow-up data. The children of women with follow-up data-whom at the time of their pregnancy had not completed school or whose highest level of education was secondary school or a trade-had respectively a 59 and 57 % increased chance of having had a respiratory/infectious disease or injury in the first year of life (according to parent proxy-reports), compared to children of women with a tertiary education. When maternal behavioural and social environmental factors during pregnancy were included in the model (n=1914), the effect of secondary education was still evident but with a reduced odds ratio of 1.35 (95 % CI 1.07-1.72) and 1.19 (95 % CI 0.87-1.64), respectively. The effect of not having completed school was no longer significant. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that the relationship between maternal education and child outcomes may be mediated by maternal social environmental and behavioural factors. Results are likely an underestimation of the effect size, given the under representation in our cohort of participants with maternal characteristics associated with elevated risk of infant morbidity.

An experienced physiotherapist prescribing and administering corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injections to the shoulder in an Australian orthopaedic service, a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial and economic analysis: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The early management of orthopaedic outpatients by physiotherapists may be useful in reducing public hospital waiting lists. Physiotherapists in Australia are prevented by legislation and funding models from investigating, prescribing, injecting and referring autonomously. This gap in service is particularly noticeable in the management of shoulder pain in early-access physiotherapy services, as patients needing corticosteroid injection face delays or transfer to other services for this procedure. This trial will investigate the clinical (decision making and outcomes) and economic feasibility of a physiotherapist prescribing and delivering corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injections for shoulder pain in an Australian public hospital setting. METHODS/DESIGN: A double-blinded (patient and assessor) non-inferiority randomised controlled trial will compare an orthopaedic surgeon and a physiotherapist prescribing and delivering corticosteroid injections to the shoulder. Agreement in decision making between the two clinicians will be investigated, and economic information will be obtained for estimating disease burden and an economic evaluation. The surgeon and the physiotherapist will independently assess patients, and 64 eligible participants will be randomised to receive subacromial injection of corticosteroid and local anaesthetic from either the surgeon or the physiotherapist. Post-injection, all participants will receive physiotherapy. The primary outcome measure will be the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index measured at baseline, and at 6 and 12 weeks post-injection. Analysis will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis and compared to a per-protocol analysis. A cost-utility analysis will be undertaken from the perspective of the health funder. DISCUSSION: Findings will assist policy makers and services in improving access for orthopaedic patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: 12612000532808 First registered: 21 May 2012. First participant randomized: 16 January 2013.

Socioeconomic disparities in prepregnancy BMI and impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes and postpartum weight retention: the EFHL longitudinal birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Long-term obesity after pregnancy is associated with obesity prior to pregnancy and retention of weight postpartum. This study aims to identify socioeconomic differences in prepregnancy body mass index, quantify the impact of prepregnancy obesity on birth outcomes, and identify determinants of postpartum weight retention. METHODS: A total of 2231 pregnant women, recruited from three public hospitals in Southeast Queensland in Australia during antenatal clinic visits, completed a questionnaire to elicit information on demographics, socioeconomic and behavioural characteristics. Perinatal information was extracted from hospital records. A follow-up questionnaire was completed by each participant at 12 months after the birth to obtain the mother's postpartum weight, breastfeeding pattern, dietary and physical activity characteristics, and the child's health and development information. Multivariate logistic regression method was used to model the association between prepregnancy obesity and outcomes. RESULTS: Being overweight or obese prepregnancy was strongly associated with socioeconomic status and adverse behavioural factors. Obese women (18% of the cohort) were more likely to experience gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, and their children were more likely to experience intensive- or special-care nursery admission, fetal distress, resuscitation, and macrosomia. Women were more likely to retain weight postpartum if they consumed three or fewer serves of fruit/vegetables per day, did not engage in recreational activity with their baby, spent less than once a week on walking for 30 minutes or more or spent time with friends less than once per week. Mothers who breastfed for more than 3 months had reduced likelihood of high postpartum weight retention. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide additional specificity to the increasing evidence of the predisposition of obesity prepregnancy on adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. They may be used to target effective behavioural change interventions to address obesity in women.

Health-related quality of life and life satisfaction in colorectal cancer survivors: trajectories of adjustment.

BACKGROUND: This longitudinal study describes the five year trajectories of health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) and life satisfaction in long term colorectal cancer survivors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A population-based sample of 1966 colorectal cancer survivors were surveyed at six time points from five months to five years post-diagnosis. Predictor variables were: socio-demographic variables, optimism; cancer threat appraisal; perceived social support. Quality of life was assessed with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (HR-QOL); and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Growth mixture models were applied to identify trajectory classes and their predictors. RESULTS: Distinct adjustment trajectories were identified for HR-QOL and life satisfaction. Lower optimism, poorer social support, a more negative cognitive appraisal, and younger age were associated with poorer life satisfaction, while survivors with less than 8 years of education had higher life satisfaction. This pattern was similar for overall HR-QOL except that educational level was not a significant predictor and later stage disease and female gender emerged as related to poorer outcomes. One in five survivors reported poorer constant HR-QOL (19.2%) and a small group had poor life satisfaction (7.2%); 26.2% reported constant high HR-QOL and 48.8% had high constant life satisfaction. Socioeconomic disadvantage and remoteness of residence uniquely predicted poorer outcomes in the colorectal cancer specific HR-QOL sub domain. CONCLUSION: Although HR-QOL and subjective cognitive QOL share similar antecedents their trajectory patterns suggested they are distinct adjustment outcomes; with life satisfaction emerging as temporally stable phenomenon. Unique patterns of risk support suggest the need to account for heterogeneity in adjustment in longitudinal QOL studies with cancer survivors.

The impact of population-based disease management services for selected chronic conditions: the Costs to Australian Private Insurance--Coaching Health (CAPICHe) study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence from a large scale trial conducted in the United States indicates that enhancing shared decision-making and improving knowledge, self-management, and provider communication skills to at-risk patients can reduce health costs and utilisation of healthcare resources. Although this trial has provided a significant advancement in the evidence base for disease management programs it is still left for such results to be replicated and/or generalised for populations in other countries and other healthcare environments. This trial responds to the limited analyses on the effectiveness of providing chronic disease management services through telephone health coaching in Australia. The size of this trial and it's assessment of cost utility with respect to potentially preventable hospitalisations adds significantly to the body of knowledge to support policy and investment decisions in Australia as well as to the international debate regarding the effect of disease management programs on financial outcomes. METHODS: Intention to treat study applying a prospective randomised design comparing usual care with extensive outreach to encourage use of telephone health coaching for those people identified from a risk scoring algorithm as having a higher likelihood of future health costs. The trial population has been limited to people with one or more of the following selected chronic conditions: namely, low back pain, diabetes, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This trial will enrol at least 64,835 sourced from the approximately 3 million Bupa Australia private health insured members located across Australia. The primary outcome will be the total (non-maternity) cost per member as reported to the private health insurer (i.e. charged to the insurer) 12 months following entry into the trial for each person. Study recruitment will be completed in early 2012 and the results will be available in late 2013. DISCUSSION: If positive, CAPICHe will represent a potentially cost-effective strategy to improve health outcomes in higher risk individuals with a chronic condition, in a private health insurance setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry reference: ACTRN12611000580976.