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Cited by 470Behavioral Health and InterventionsSmoking Behavior and CessationDecision-Making and Behavioral Economics

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 85 of the 88 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The Effectiveness of Financial Incentives for Health Behaviour Change: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Open access
Giles, Emma L., Robalino, Shannon, McColl, Elaine, Sniehotta, Falko F., Adams, Jean·2014·PLoS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0090347PMC PMC3949711
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Financial incentive interventions have been suggested as one method of promoting healthy behaviour change. OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness of financial incentive interventions for encouraging healthy behaviour change; to explore whether effects vary according to the type of behaviour incentivised, post-intervention follow-up time, or incentive value. DATA SOURCES: Searches were of relevant electronic databases, research registers, www.google.com, and the reference lists of previous reviews; and requests for information sent to relevant mailing lists. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Controlled evaluations of the effectiveness of financial incentive interventions, compared to no intervention or usual care, to encourage healthy behaviour change, in non-clinical adult populations, living in high-income countries, were included. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS: The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess all included studies. Meta-analysis was used to explore the effect of financial incentive interventions within groups of similar behaviours and overall. Meta-regression was used to determine if effect varied according to post-intervention follow up time, or incentive value. RESULTS: Seventeen papers reporting on 16 studies on smoking cessation (n = 10), attendance for vaccination or screening (n = 5), and physical activity (n = 1) were included. In meta-analyses, the average effect of incentive interventions was greater than control for short-term (≤ six months) smoking cessation (relative risk (95% confidence intervals): 2.48 (1.77 to 3.46); long-term (>six months) smoking cessation (1.50 (1.05 to 2.14)); attendance for vaccination or screening (1.92 (1.46 to 2.53)); and for all behaviours combined (1.62 (1.38 to 1.91)). There was not convincing evidence that effects were different between different groups of behaviours. Meta-regression found some, limited, evidence that effect sizes decreased as post-intervention follow-up period and incentive value increased. However, the latter effect may be confounded by the former. CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence suggests that financial incentive interventions are more effective than usual care or no intervention for encouraging healthy behaviour change. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42012002393.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1371/journal.pone.0090347

Cites

85 of 85 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Figures

Figure 1 Flow diagram of study selection and exclusion.
Figure 1 Flow diagram of study selection and exclusion.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 Risk of bias in included studies.
Figure 2 Risk of bias in included studies.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 3 Meta-analysis of financial incentives for smoking cessation (follow-up ≤six months).
Figure 3 Meta-analysis of financial incentives for smoking cessation (follow-up ≤six months).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 4 Meta-regression of follow-up period on relative risk, smoking cessation (follow-up <six months).
Figure 4 Meta-regression of follow-up period on relative risk, smoking cessation (follow-up <six months).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 5 Meta-regression of incentive value on relative risk, smoking cessation (follow-up up <six months).
Figure 5 Meta-regression of incentive value on relative risk, smoking cessation (follow-up up <six months).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 6 Meta-analysis of financial incentives for smoking cessation (follow-up >six months).
Figure 6 Meta-analysis of financial incentives for smoking cessation (follow-up >six months).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 7 Meta-regression of follow-up period on relative risk, smoking cessation (follow-up >six months).
Figure 7 Meta-regression of follow-up period on relative risk, smoking cessation (follow-up >six months).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 8 Meta-regression of incentive value on relative risk, smoking cessation (follow-up of >six months).
Figure 8 Meta-regression of incentive value on relative risk, smoking cessation (follow-up of >six months).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 9 Contour enhanced funnel plot, smoking cessation (follow-up ≤six months).
Figure 9 Contour enhanced funnel plot, smoking cessation (follow-up ≤six months).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 10 Contour enhanced funnel plot, smoking cessation (follow-up >six months).
Figure 10 Contour enhanced funnel plot, smoking cessation (follow-up >six months).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 11 Meta-analysis of financial incentives for attendance at vaccination and screening.
Figure 11 Meta-analysis of financial incentives for attendance at vaccination and screening.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 12 Meta-regression of incentive value on relative risk, attendance at vaccination & screening.
Figure 12 Meta-regression of incentive value on relative risk, attendance at vaccination & screening.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 13 Contour enhanced funnel plot, attendance at vaccination and screening.
Figure 13 Contour enhanced funnel plot, attendance at vaccination and screening.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 14 Meta-analysis of financial incentives for all behaviours (latest follow-up point).
Figure 14 Meta-analysis of financial incentives for all behaviours (latest follow-up point).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 15 Meta-regression of follow-up point on relative risk, all behaviours (latest follow-up point).
Figure 15 Meta-regression of follow-up point on relative risk, all behaviours (latest follow-up point).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 16 Meta-regression of incentive value on relative risk, all behaviours (latest follow-up point).
Figure 16 Meta-regression of incentive value on relative risk, all behaviours (latest follow-up point).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 17 Contour enhanced funnel plot, all behaviours (latest follow-up point).
Figure 17 Contour enhanced funnel plot, all behaviours (latest follow-up point).CC BY · PubMed Central

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Citations

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Show all 88 references

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Kavanagh J, Stansfield C, Thomas J (2009) Incentives to improve smoking, physical activity, dietary and weight management behaviours: a scoping review of the research evidence. London: Institute of Education.
  2. A Oliver, 2009, Can financial carrots improve health?, J Health Serv Res Policy, 14, 1, 10.1258/jhsrp.2008.008132 · DOI

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Metadata

Authors
Giles, E. L., Robalino, S., McColl, E., Sniehotta, F. F., & Adams, J.
Affiliations
Newcastle University (GB)
Corresponding author
Giles, Emma L.
ORCID
Venue
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2014-03-11
Volume
9
Issue
3
Pages
e90347
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0090347
PMC
PMC3949711
OpenAlex
W2001401696
Cited by
470
References
88
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 90 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 5
FWCI
3.83
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Teesside University Research Portal (Teesside University) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity) (cc-by)
Funders
  • United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration
  • Cancer Research UK
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (CDF-2011-04-001)
  • British Heart Foundation
  • Medical Research Council (MR/K02325X/1)
  • Economic and Social Research Council
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Keywords
financial incentives, behavior change, smoking cessation, vaccine uptake, screening uptake, physical activity, incentive value, follow-up duration, non-clinical adults, health promotion
MeSH terms
Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Motivation, Motor Activity, Registries, Risk, Health Behavior, Odds Ratio, Databases, Factual, Smoking Cessation

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