Introduction
Overweight and obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of preventable health conditions nationally. In 2024, 37% of children and 66% of adults in South Australia (SA) were living with overweight or obesity. Reversing this trend requires system-wide change to address environments that promote unhealthy weight. Preventive Health SA, supported by Deakin University, is undertaking research to generate evidence on the health and economic impacts of obesity-related preventable disease and the value for money of prevention initiatives.

Methods
The program of work includes estimating the economic impact of overweight and obesity in SA from 2025 to 2030 using a prevalence-based approach, drawing on data from the SA Population Health Survey, to estimate direct (e.g., healthcare cost for chronic illness associated with high BMI) and indirect costs (e.g., productivity loss due to workforce absenteeism) using local, national, and international data. A comprehensive priority-setting study will model the cost-effectiveness of obesity prevention interventions and develop a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework that considers criteria such as equity and feasibility, to rank prevention strategies for implementation in SA.

Results
Findings estimate that 1,107,064 South Australians are living with overweight and obesity in 2025, increasing by about 64,000 to 1,171,169 in 2030. The total cost is estimated at $4.17 billion in 2025, increasing to $4.79 billion in 2030, with indirect costs comprising 72% of total costs. The priority-setting study is underway, with 10 priority interventions identified for inclusion, spanning retail, marketing, procurement, urban planning, and community-based approaches. The MCDA framework and evidence from a scoping exercise on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions will be presented.

Conclusion
This research builds the economic case for increased investment in obesity prevention and will guide the implementation of evidence-based strategies, such as laws and regulations, school- and community-based programs, and public education campaigns, to drive positive change in obesity-related health outcomes.

Introduction: Each year, there are 10 million deaths from cancer globally, with over a third occurring in working-age people (15–64-year-olds). Quantifying productivity losses associated with premature cancer mortality provides an additional insight into the wider societal burden of cancer in Australia, further emphasising the importance of preventing cancer. Here, we provide updated estimates of paid and unpaid productivity losses due to premature cancer mortality in working-age Australians by sex, age group, state and cancer type.

Methods: We used the human capital approach to estimate productivity losses from premature cancer mortality from 2022 – 2040 in Australia, combining national level data on mortality, population size, annual earnings, labour force participation and unpaid activity levels. We estimated the number of premature cancer deaths, years of productive life lost, total paid and unpaid labour productivity losses and cost per cancer death at the national and state levels.

Results: Over the next 15 years, 183,224 cancer deaths were predicted in working-age Australians leading to $210 billion in lost productivity costs nationally. In 2025, 10,614 premature cancer deaths and 98,231 productive life years lost valued at $11.5 billion were estimated. Paid and unpaid productivity losses equally contributed to total losses and were highest for lung and colorectal cancers, while brain cancer was the most expensive per premature death.

Conclusions: Beyond the health sector burden, the wider economic impact of cancer through forgone labour losses is significant and growing in Australia. The high burden of lost productivity from premature cancer mortality emphasizes the importance of continued investment in policies, initiatives and research to prevent cancer. Such investment is an increasingly important goal for avoiding cancer death and the associated significant societal costs that follow.

Patients on public waitlists often present with complex, modifiable risk profiles that contribute to chronic disease burden and poorer surgical outcomes. Despite being largely preventable, these risks are rarely addressed during the waiting period, representing a missed opportunity for preventive health intervention.

Way to Wellness (WTW) is a statewide virtual health service delivered by the Health Contact Centre, and funded by the Prevention Strategy Branch at Queensland Health. It supports patients on public waiting lists, particularly those awaiting elective surgery, to improve their health and wellbeing. WTW delivers a comprehensive risk assessment, brief advice, and referrals to evidence-based behaviour change programs. Through a coaching session, patients receive tailored support to understand their health risks and create an actionable wellness plan. The service is designed to be scalable, efficient, and complementary to targeted pre-surgical care.

While WTW has previously evaluated patient-reported health outcomes, an opportunity now exists to assess the health economic value of the service through a PhD-led evaluation, focusing on cost-effectiveness and cost-utility. The evaluation focuses on WTW interactions with orthopaedic and gynaecology surgery patients.
The health economic evaluation will assess the value of WTW, including its impact on patient-reported outcomes and modifiable risk factor reduction (such as smoking, physical inactivity, risky alcohol consumption, etc). Data collected includes EuroQol 5-Dimension, 5-Level health-related quality of life tool, risk profiles, surgical outcomes, health system use and service delivery costs. Long-term modelling will analyse the cost-effectiveness of the WTW service.

Initial patient-reported outcomes suggest WTW is a promising model for prioritising prevention with surgical patients. Findings from this health economic evaluation will support understanding of the service’s value, impact and outcomes, aligning with Queensland Health’s strategic objectives to identify high-value care. This presentation will share preliminary insights from the evaluation, including observations on patient outcomes and the potential for health economic impact.

Introduction: This Australian study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of preventive interventions for dental caries and periodontitis using the Assessing Cost-Effectiveness (ACE) framework. The research addressed a critical gap in Australia's healthcare system, where dental services are excluded mainly from Medicare, resulting in inequities in oral health access, particularly for disadvantaged communities.
Methods: A Project Steering Group comprising consumer representatives, academics, and policymakers selected six preventive interventions for economic modelling: targeted anticipatory guidance, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax, school-based fissure sealant/fluoride varnish programs, Minimally Invasive Dentistry, and tobacco cessation services. The study used disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as outcome measures, with a cost-effectiveness threshold of $50,000 per DALY averted.
Results: A 20% SSB tax emerged as the only cost-effective intervention, resulting in a cost-saving effect of $64 million in societal savings and 98 DALYs averted over 10 years. All other interventions failed to meet the cost-effectiveness threshold. When ranked by the number of decayed teeth prevented, the SSB tax remained most effective, followed by targeted school-based fluoride varnish programs delivered by non-dental professionals.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that universal preventive measures, such as SSB taxation, can promote oral health equity while also saving costs. Utilising non-dental health professionals can enhance the cost-effectiveness of interventions. However, most clinical preventive interventions were not cost-effective under current thresholds, highlighting the need for thoughtful policy design in oral health funding resource allocation. Further research is needed to capture broader health co-benefits beyond oral health outcomes.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the associations of the accumulation, and profiles of physical activity over eight years with physical function in mid-aged Australian adults.

Methods: Data from the HABITAT cohort (N = 722) were analysed. Physical activity was self-reported in 2007 (mean age: 52.0 years, SD: 7.1), 2009, 2011, and 2013. Physical function measures (grip strength, chair stand, arm curl, step in place, sit and reach, back scratch, and timed up-and-go) were assessed in 2014–2015 (mean age: 60.3 years, SD: 7.1). Linear regression analyses were used to investigate the association between a cumulative physical activity score (2007–2013) and profiles of physical activity over the eight years with a composite z-score of physical function.

Results: A positive dose-response relationship was observed between cumulative physical activity and physical function. Participants in the highest tertile of cumulative physical activity scores had significantly better physical function than those in the lowest tertile [β: 0.27 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.38)]. Overall, accumulated physical activity was associated with higher physical function z-scores, regardless of the age when the activity was accumulated. Participants in the highest physical activity tertile at both age 52 and age 58 had significantly better physical function scores than those always in the lowest tertile [β: 0.34 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.48)]. Analyses of changes over time showed that participants who increased their physical activity levels had better physical function scores than those who remained in the lowest tertiles.

Conclusion: Accumulating physical activity, regardless of the timing, appears to enhance physical function in mid-aged adults before the transition to older age. Strategies to prevent declines in physical activity during this life stage should be a public health priority for maintaining health and functional capacity with an ageing population.

Introduction: In 2024, Australia introduced landmark federal reforms regulating e-cigarette use. These changes prohibit the importation of single-use disposable vapes and the manufacture, supply, and sale of e-cigarettes for recreational purposes, while permitting pharmacy-based access for smoking cessation. This collaborative study aims to assess the health, economic, and equity impacts of these reforms compared to alternative strategies, including a counterfactual scenario of no major policy change.

Methods: Working with partners from Cancer Council Australia, Heart Foundation Australia, Lung Foundation Australia, and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, we will develop and implement an Australian e-cigarette policy simulation model to estimate short-term (5-year) and long-term outcomes. Over two years, the project will integrate new health service data on acute vaping-related harms from the pre-hospital sector, conduct stakeholder workshops to inform model structure and inputs, and undertake rapid evidence reviews focusing on respiratory, cardiovascular, and cancer endpoints. Cost components will include law enforcement, quit campaigns, and environmental impacts.

Conclusion: We will present the study design, modelling approach, and data sources, alongside plans for external validation and strategies to address uncertainty. We will seek feedback and engagement for these plans. Findings will provide the first health economic evaluation of Australia’s e-cigarette reforms, offering critical insights for public policy and implications for health equity.

Introduction
Skin cancer is the most common and costly cancer in Australia, with an estimated annual burden of $2.5 billion. Though prioritised in the Victorian Cancer Plan, funding for the SunSmart program in Victoria has declined by 60% over the past two years. This reduction has occurred despite strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of SunSmart—a multi-component, internationally recognised skin cancer prevention program implemented since 1988. To inform future investment and support advocacy, contemporary data are needed to quantify the burden and economic and social value of skin cancer prevention in Victoria.
Methods
This project comprised two interrelated analyses, a retrospective population-based analysis of skin cancer burden on Victorian public hospitals (2017-24), using administrative data to quantify hospitalisations, procedures, costs, and bed days, and a return-on-investment (ROI) analysis of the SunSmart programversus no program using a Markov cohort model.
Results
Preliminary hospital data suggest significant impacts of keratinocyte cancer (KC) and melanoma on hospitalisations, with increasing admissions and hospital costs over the past six years. The ROI analysis estimated that delivering SunSmart over 20 years prevented 32,938 melanomas, 2,254 melanoma deaths, and 702,876 KCs, while generating 17,678 QALYs. The estimated ROI was A$4.01of savings in cancer treatment to the Victorian state government for every dollar spent and A$6.45 from a societal perspective.
Conclusion
Skin cancer poses a substantial and preventable burden on Victoria’s health system. Increased and sustained investment in prevention through the SunSmart program—including policy development, education, and supportive environments—alongside public education, offers significant cost savings, improved health outcomes, and reduced productivity losses. These findings provide a compelling evidence base to support long-term, equitable funding for skin cancer prevention in Victoria.