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Relationship between diet quality and health service utilisation: an updated analysis

Synopsis

This project is about evaluating whether healthy eating is associated with reduced health care costs and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. So far, we have shown consuming a greater variety of vegetables to be associated with lower 10-year and 15-year cumulative Medicare Charges and Claims. We have also previously shown that women whose diet quality worsened over 12 years had higher healthcare costs (Medicare charges) compared with those whose diet quality improved or remained the same. We wish to investigate whether these relationships are strengthening over a greater time period, or not. We also wish to investigate whether healthy eating is associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. This research may help to identify appropriate dietary targets associated with reduced health care costs and mortality. Further evaluations in other studies are needed so that modelling of potential future cost savings can be conducted. The results will inform a policy brief related to diet quality and healthcare costs over time.