Financial incentives help people change health behaviours, review shows

Personal financial incentives help people to change health behaviours, but these effects are lost within three months of the payments stopping, says a study of the overall effect of payments across various health related behaviours.1

Researchers analysed 34 studies including 10 585 adults that assessed the effect of financial incentives on a range of health behaviours, including smoking cessation and healthier eating, measured for at least six months from baseline. Around half of the studies offered incentives of less than $400 (£271; €374), and the rest were higher. …