The use of incentives in the formation of healthy lifestyle habits following the school to work transition

这项工作将测试一项干预措施，以促进和保持离开学校参加工作的年轻人的健康生活习惯。我们还将测试激励措施是否可以用来促进这种变化。收入和社会资源低的年轻人特别容易发展危险的健康行为（例如，不良饮食和不积极的生活方式）;然而，我们看到从学校到就业的过渡提供了改变行为的机会。这是因为当你的环境发生变化时，打破习惯要比建立常规时容易得多。学生将在离校前被招募参加该项目，并被邀请参加当地休闲中心的信息会议。他们将被随机分配到三组之一;（i）三个月的行为支持，以促进健康饮食和体育活动，（ii）三个月的行为支持与激励（10英镑的驾驶课程或移动的手机充值券），或（iii）仅信息对照组。这项工作的结果将提供有价值的信息，告知政策的可行性，健康促进这一研究不足，难以达到的群体。

This work will test an intervention to promote and maintain healthy lifestyle habits in young people leaving school for work. We will also test whether incentives can be used to prompt such changes. Young people with low incomes and social resources are at particular risk of developing risky health behaviours (e.g., poor diet and an inactive lifestyle); however we see the transition from school to employment to provide an opportunity to change behaviour. This is because it is much easier to break habits when your environment changes than when routines are established. Students will be recruited to the project before leaving school, and invited to an information session at their local leisure centre. They will be randomised to one of three groups; (i) three months of behavioural support for promoting a healthy diet and physical activity, (ii) three months of behavioural support with incentives (£10 voucher for driving lessons or mobile phone top-ups), or (iii) an information only control group. Findings from this work will provide valuable information to inform policy on the feasibility of health promotion with this under-researched and hard to reach group.