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去工作的年轻人的健康生活习惯。我们还将测试是否可以使用激励措施来促进这种变化。收入和社会资源较低的年轻人特别容易养成危险的健康行为（例如，不良饮食和不运动的生活方式）；然而，我们看到从学校到就业的转变提供了一个改变行为的机会。这是因为当你的环境发生变化时，打破习惯要比当常规建立起来时容易得多。学生们将在离开学校之前被招募到这个项目中，并被邀请参加当地休闲中心的信息发布会。他们将被随机分为三组；（一）三个月的行为支持，以促进健康饮食和体育活动；（二）三个月的行为支持，并提供奖励（驾驶课程或手机充值10英镑代金券）；或（三）一个只提供信息的对照组。这项工作的结果将提供有价值的信息，为这一研究不足和难以接触到的群体的健康促进可行性政策提供信息。

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.