Attitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouse

Objectives: Hypertension and dyslipidemia are major risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, many people do not consider these risk factors important, even if they are noted during their annual health checkups and left untreated for a long time. Here, we report a novel nudge method to...

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Main Authors: Wataru Katagiri, Masaaki Shimono, Shunsuke Eguchi, Masaki Takebayashi, Kazuma Iekushi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Japan Society for Occupational Health 2025-06-01
Series:Environmental and Occupational Health Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/eohp/7/1/7_2024-0017/_html/-char/en
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author Wataru Katagiri
Masaaki Shimono
Shunsuke Eguchi
Masaki Takebayashi
Kazuma Iekushi
author_facet Wataru Katagiri
Masaaki Shimono
Shunsuke Eguchi
Masaki Takebayashi
Kazuma Iekushi
author_sort Wataru Katagiri
collection DOAJ
description Objectives: Hypertension and dyslipidemia are major risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, many people do not consider these risk factors important, even if they are noted during their annual health checkups and left untreated for a long time. Here, we report a novel nudge method to encourage people who had these risk factors and examine the resultant changes in the willingness to undergo secondary health examinations. Methods: Employees of Novartis Pharma K.K. and its affiliated companies who had elevated blood pressure and/or lipid levels during annual health checkups were allocated to either the social nudge group (postcards were sent to their spouses) or the control group (postcards were sent to themselves) after confirming their agreement to receive postcards in order to encourage them to take secondary health examination. A web-based survey via email was conducted before and after sending the postcards to understand the willingness to undergo secondary health examinations. Results: Regarding the willingness to undergo the secondary health examinations, a significant difference was observed in the social nudge group (n=58) before (12.1%) and after (46.6%) the postcard was sent (p<0.0001), and no significant difference was observed in the control group (n=9, p=1.0000). The proportion of employees who underwent secondary health examinations did not increase significantly in either group. Conclusions: This study suggested that a social nudge via spouse has a possibility of increasing the willingness to undergo secondary health examinations at low cost. To increase the proportion of undergoing it, combinations with other nudges might be necessary.
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spelling doaj-art-400c897ff68c4e8e844562cdae0946ac2025-08-20T03:29:34ZengJapan Society for Occupational HealthEnvironmental and Occupational Health Practice2434-49312025-06-017110.1539/eohp.2024-0017eohpAttitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouseWataru Katagiri0https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5302-6066Masaaki Shimono1https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8676-3867Shunsuke Eguchi2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9512-1339Masaki Takebayashi3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7221-4126Kazuma Iekushi4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8056-4281Medical Affairs Division, Novartis Pharma K.K., JapanNovartis Health Insurance Association, JapanMedical Affairs Division, Novartis Pharma K.K., JapanFaculty of Sociology, Aomori University, JapanMedical Affairs Division, Novartis Pharma K.K., JapanObjectives: Hypertension and dyslipidemia are major risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, many people do not consider these risk factors important, even if they are noted during their annual health checkups and left untreated for a long time. Here, we report a novel nudge method to encourage people who had these risk factors and examine the resultant changes in the willingness to undergo secondary health examinations. Methods: Employees of Novartis Pharma K.K. and its affiliated companies who had elevated blood pressure and/or lipid levels during annual health checkups were allocated to either the social nudge group (postcards were sent to their spouses) or the control group (postcards were sent to themselves) after confirming their agreement to receive postcards in order to encourage them to take secondary health examination. A web-based survey via email was conducted before and after sending the postcards to understand the willingness to undergo secondary health examinations. Results: Regarding the willingness to undergo the secondary health examinations, a significant difference was observed in the social nudge group (n=58) before (12.1%) and after (46.6%) the postcard was sent (p<0.0001), and no significant difference was observed in the control group (n=9, p=1.0000). The proportion of employees who underwent secondary health examinations did not increase significantly in either group. Conclusions: This study suggested that a social nudge via spouse has a possibility of increasing the willingness to undergo secondary health examinations at low cost. To increase the proportion of undergoing it, combinations with other nudges might be necessary.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/eohp/7/1/7_2024-0017/_html/-char/enfamily supportnudgeoccupational healthsecondary health examination
spellingShingle Wataru Katagiri
Masaaki Shimono
Shunsuke Eguchi
Masaki Takebayashi
Kazuma Iekushi
Attitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouse
Environmental and Occupational Health Practice
family support
nudge
occupational health
secondary health examination
title Attitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouse
title_full Attitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouse
title_fullStr Attitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouse
title_full_unstemmed Attitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouse
title_short Attitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouse
title_sort attitude change to secondary health examination using social nudging through a spouse
topic family support
nudge
occupational health
secondary health examination
url https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/eohp/7/1/7_2024-0017/_html/-char/en
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