The cost of investigating weight‐related comorbidities in children and adolescents in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Aim Expert recommendations for child/adolescent obesity include extensive investigation for weight‐related comorbidities, based on body mass index (BMI) percentile cut‐offs. This study aimed to estimate the cost of initial investigations for weight‐related comorbidities in children/adolescents with obesity, according to international expert guidelines. Methods The annual mean cost of investigations for weight‐related comorbidities in children/adolescents was calculated from a health‐funder perspective using 2019 cost data obtained from three New Zealand District Health Boards. Prevalence data for child/adolescent obesity (aged 2–14 years) were obtained from the New Zealand Health Survey (2017/2018), and prevalence of weight‐related comorbidities requiring further investigation were obtained from a previous New Zealand study of a cohort of children with obesity. Results The cost of initial laboratory screening for weight‐related comorbidities per child was NZD 28.36. Based on national prevalence data from 2018/2019 for children with BMI greater than the 98th percentile (obesity cut‐off), the total annual cost for initial laboratory screening for weight‐related comorbidities in children/adolescents aged 2–14 years with obesity was estimated at NZD 2,665,840. The cost of further investigation in the presence of risk factors was estimated at NZD 2,972,934. Conclusions Investigating weight‐related comorbidities in New Zealand according to international expert guidelines is resource‐intensive. Ways to further determine who warrants investigation with an individualised approach are required.