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BackgroundObesity is an important risk factor for many chronic diseases. Mobile health interventions such as smartphone apps can potentially provide a convenient low-cost addition to other obesity reduction strategies. ObjectiveThis study aimed to estimate the impacts on quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained and health system costs over the remainder of the life span of the New Zealand population (N=4.4 million) for a smartphone app promotion intervention in 1 calendar year (2011) using currently available apps for weight loss. MethodsThe intervention was a national mass media promotion of selected smartphone apps for weight loss compared with no dedicated promotion. A multistate life table model including 14 body mass index–related diseases was used to estimate QALYs gained and health systems costs. A lifetime horizon, 3% discount rate, and health system perspective were used. The proportion of the target population receiving the intervention (1.36%) was calculated using the best evidence for the proportion who have access to smartphones, are likely to see the mass media campaign promoting the app, are likely to download a weight loss app, and are likely to continue using this app. ResultsIn the base-case model, the smartphone app promotion intervention generated 29 QALYs (95% uncertainty interval, UI: 14-52) and cost the health system US $1.6 million (95% UI: 1.1-2.0 million) with the standard download rate. Under plausible assumptions, QALYs increased to 59 (95% UI: 27-107) and costs decreased to US $1.2 million (95% UI: 0.5-1.8) when standard download rates were doubled. Costs per QALY gained were US $53,600 for the standard download rate and US $20,100 when download rates were doubled. On the basis of a threshold of US $30,000 per QALY, this intervention was cost-effective for Māori when the standard download rates were increased by 50% and also for the total population when download rates were doubled. ConclusionsIn this modeling study, the mass media promotion of a smartphone app for weight loss produced relatively small health gains on a population level and was of borderline cost-effectiveness for the total population. Nevertheless, the scope for this type of intervention may expand with increasing smartphone use, more easy-to-use and effective apps becoming available, and with recommendations to use such apps being integrated into dietary counseling by health workers.

Increases in the use of Bayesian inference in applied analysis, the complexity of estimated models, and the popularity of efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) inference under conjugate priors have led to more scrutiny regarding the specification of the parameters in prior distributions. Impact of prior parameter assumptions on posterior statistics is commonly investigated in terms of local or pointwise assessments, in the form of derivatives or more often multiple evaluations under a set of alternative prior parameter specifications. This paper expands upon these localized strategies and introduces a new approach based on the graph of posterior statistics over prior parameter regions (sensitivity manifolds) that offers additional measures and graphical assessments of prior parameter dependence. Estimation is based on multiple point evaluations with Gaussian processes, with efficient selection of evaluation points via active learning, and is further complemented with derivative information. The application introduces a strategy to assess prior parameter dependence in a multivariate demand model with a high dimensional prior parameter space, where complex prior-posterior dependence arises from model parameter constraints. The new measures uncover a considerable prior dependence beyond parameters suggested by theory, and reveal novel interactions between the prior parameters and the elasticities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealanders can cross borders freely, work and live in Australia indefinitely thanks to the Trans‐Tasman Travel Agreement. This paper uses a recently developed decomposition method to decompose the weekly wage gap at various quantiles on the wage distribution between New Zealand‐born (NZ‐born) and Australian‐born workers, and between NZ‐born workers, migrants from other English speaking countries (OESC), and from non‐English speaking countries (NESC) to determine how free and regulated migration influences migrants' performance in the Australian labour market. We found that NZ‐born workers earned higher weekly wages than both Australian‐born and NESC workers but earned lower wages than OESC migrants. Differences in endowment were primarily responsible for the wage gaps between NZ‐born and Australian‐born workers and between NZ‐born and OESC migrants. However, differences in returns to worker and job characteristics are mainly responsible for the wage gap between NZ‐born and NESC migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correction notice for the article "Predicting the risk of diabetes complications using machine learning and social administrative data in a country with ethnic inequities in health: Aotearoa New Zealand" addresses incorrect affiliations for the first two authors, Nhung Nghiem and Nick Wilson. The correct affiliations have been updated, and the original article has been corrected. The correction was reported by Nhung Nghiem, Nick Wilson, Jeremy Krebs, and Truyen Tran. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

Objective To develop a new method for estimating the cost to governments of enacting public health legislation. Methods We adopted a central government perspective in estimating costs. The parliamentary cost of legislative acts and regulations in New Zealand was calculated from the proportion of parliamentary time devoted to law-making (i.e. sitting days in the debating chamber), and the cost of associated policy advice from government agencies was calculated from the proportion of documented policy issues related to law-making. The relative costs of acts and regulations were estimated from the number of pages in the legislation. Findings We estimated that, between 1999 and 2010, 26.7% of parliamentary resources and 16.7% of policy advice from government agencies were devoted to generating new laws in New Zealand. The mean cost of an act was 2.6 million United States dollars (US$; 95% uncertainty interval, UI: 1.5 to 4.4 million) and the mean cost of a regulation was US$ 382 000 (95% UI: 221 000 to 665 000). For comparison, the average cost of a bill enacted by the 50 state governments in the United States of America between 2008 and 2009 was US$ 980 000. Conclusion We were able to estimate the cost of new legislation in New Zealand. Our method for estimating this cost seemed to capture the main government costs involved and appears to be generally applicable to other developed countries. Ideally such costs should be included in economic evaluations of public health interventions that involve new legislation. Objectit Mettre au point une nouvelle methode d'estimation du cout de la promulgation de lois de sante publique pour les gouvernements. Methodes Nous avons adopte la perspective du gouvernement central pour l'estimation des couts. Le cout parlementaire des reglements et actes Iegislatifs en Nouvelle-Zelande a ete calcule au prorata du temps parlementaire consacre a l'elaboration des lois (plus precisement en jours de seance dans la chambre des debats), et le cout des conseils politiques associes fournis par les agences gouvernementales a ete calcule au prorata des publications politiques documentees relatives a l'elaboration des lois. Les couts relatifs des lois et reglements ont ete estimes a partir du nombre de pages contenues dans la Iegislation. Resultats Nous avons estime qu'entre 1999 et 2010, 26,7% des ressources parlementaires et 16,7% des conseils politiques des agences gouvernementales ont ete alloues a la proposition de nouvelles lois en Nouvelle-Zelande. Le cout moyen d'une loi etait de 2,6 millions de dollars americains (intervalle d'incertitude de 95%, II:1,5 a 4,4 millions), et le cout moyen d'un reglement etait de 382 000 $ (II de 95%: 221 000 a 665 000). A titre de comparaison, le cout moyen d'un projet de loi adopte par les 50 gouvernements federaux des Etats-Unis d'Amerique entre 2008 et 2009 etait de 980 000 $. Conclusion Nous avons ete en mesure d'estimer le cout de la nouvelle Iegislation en Nouvelle-Zelande. Notre methode d'estimation de ce cout semblait englober les principaux couts gouvernementaux concernes et parait etre globalement applicable a d'autres pays developpes. Dans l'ideal, de tels couts devraient etre inclus dans les evaluations economiques des interventions de sante publique qui impliquent une nouvelle legislation. Objetivo Desarrollar un metodo nuevo para calcular el coste que supondria a los gobiernos la promulgacion de una legislacion sobre sanidad publica. Metodos Hemos adoptado la perspectiva de un gobierno central para calcular los costes. El coste parlamentario de los actos legislativos y reglamentos en Nueva Zelandia se calculo en funcion de la proporcion de tiempo parlamentario consagrado a la creacion de la ley (es decir, de los dias de sesion en la camara de debate) y el coste del asesoramiento sobre politicas por parte de las agencias gubernamentales se calculo a partir de la proporcion de cuestiones politicas documentadas relacionadas con la creacion de la ley. Los costes relativos de las leyes y los reglamentos se calcularon en funcion del numero de paginas en la legislacion. Resultados Se calculo que, entre los anos 1999 y 2010, se dedico el 26,7% de los recursos parlamentarios y el 16,7% del asesoramiento politico procedente de las agencias gubernamentales a la creacion de nuevas leyes en Nueva Zelandia. El coste medio de una ley fue de US$ 2,6 millones (95% intervalo de incertidumbre, II: entre 1,5 y 4,4 millones) y el coste medio de un reglamento fue de US$ 382 000 (95% II: de 221 000 a 66.5 000). A modo de comparativa, el coste medio de un proyecto de ley promulgado por los 50 estados miembros de los Estados Unidos de America entre 2008 y 2009 fue de US$ 980 000. Conclusion Hemos podido calcular el coste de una nueva legislacion en Nueva Zelandia. Nuestro metodo para calcular este coste abarco los principales gastos gubernamentales implicados y podria aplicarse a otros paises desarrollados. Lo ideal seria que dichos costes se incluyeran en las evaluaciones economicas de aquellas intervenciones de la sanidad publica que implicaran unalegislacion nueva., Introduction There is strong scientific evidence that the law can help improve public health. A recent publication identified 65 systematic reviews of studies on the effectiveness of a total of [...]