Exploring the Viability and Acceptance of Nudge in Public Policies for Health Promotion
Background: Behaviorally informed interventions, such as nudging, encourage actions intended to promote longer and healthier lives. Holding significant potential for influencing health policies and healthcare practices, these interventions are partaking of a shift in governance and public health pol...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Healthcare |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/4/476 |
| _version_ | 1797298145415135232 |
|---|---|
| author | Teresa Forte Gonçalo Santinha Marta Patrão |
| author_facet | Teresa Forte Gonçalo Santinha Marta Patrão |
| author_sort | Teresa Forte |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Behaviorally informed interventions, such as nudging, encourage actions intended to promote longer and healthier lives. Holding significant potential for influencing health policies and healthcare practices, these interventions are partaking of a shift in governance and public health policymaking. However, a substantial knowledge gap remains regarding the feasibility and appropriateness of implementing policies that draw on nudge. Methods: Ae survey on nudge’s acceptability) was adapted to the Portuguese context to access attitudes towards 16 nudge measures. The research focused on evaluating attitudes among political science and public administration BSc and MSc students from nine Portuguese universities, and analyzing the relationship between these attitudes, sociodemographic characteristics, and sociopolitical attitudes. The data analysis involved the application of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The participants exhibited a moderate-to-high level of approval for various nudge measures, particularly those related to nutrition and public education/awareness raising. The study identified a nuanced relationship between the level of intrusiveness of nudges and their public approval, indicating that interventions preserving the architecture of choice gathered higher acceptance compared to more intrusive approaches. Notably, approval was associated with a high level of trust in social groups and a low propensity for risk-taking and alcohol consumption. Conclusions: This study not only sheds light on the types of nudge measures that are likely to be more acceptable for promoting healthy behaviors, but also establishes a crucial link between behavioral interventions and healthcare policies. Understanding the nuanced factors influencing the public acceptance of nudges contributes to the discourse on the implementation of behaviorally informed health policies and emphasizes the importance of tailoring interventions to align with public values and preferences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:30:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-73de99cbd32845e9b5c761a4356856ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:30:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-73de99cbd32845e9b5c761a4356856ee2024-02-23T15:18:21ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322024-02-0112447610.3390/healthcare12040476Exploring the Viability and Acceptance of Nudge in Public Policies for Health PromotionTeresa Forte0Gonçalo Santinha1Marta Patrão2Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), University of Coimbra, 3000-115 Coimbra, PortugalResearch Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalResearch Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalBackground: Behaviorally informed interventions, such as nudging, encourage actions intended to promote longer and healthier lives. Holding significant potential for influencing health policies and healthcare practices, these interventions are partaking of a shift in governance and public health policymaking. However, a substantial knowledge gap remains regarding the feasibility and appropriateness of implementing policies that draw on nudge. Methods: Ae survey on nudge’s acceptability) was adapted to the Portuguese context to access attitudes towards 16 nudge measures. The research focused on evaluating attitudes among political science and public administration BSc and MSc students from nine Portuguese universities, and analyzing the relationship between these attitudes, sociodemographic characteristics, and sociopolitical attitudes. The data analysis involved the application of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The participants exhibited a moderate-to-high level of approval for various nudge measures, particularly those related to nutrition and public education/awareness raising. The study identified a nuanced relationship between the level of intrusiveness of nudges and their public approval, indicating that interventions preserving the architecture of choice gathered higher acceptance compared to more intrusive approaches. Notably, approval was associated with a high level of trust in social groups and a low propensity for risk-taking and alcohol consumption. Conclusions: This study not only sheds light on the types of nudge measures that are likely to be more acceptable for promoting healthy behaviors, but also establishes a crucial link between behavioral interventions and healthcare policies. Understanding the nuanced factors influencing the public acceptance of nudges contributes to the discourse on the implementation of behaviorally informed health policies and emphasizes the importance of tailoring interventions to align with public values and preferences.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/4/476healthpublic healthnudginggovernance strategiespolitical sciencepublic administration |
| spellingShingle | Teresa Forte Gonçalo Santinha Marta Patrão Exploring the Viability and Acceptance of Nudge in Public Policies for Health Promotion Healthcare health public health nudging governance strategies political science public administration |
| title | Exploring the Viability and Acceptance of Nudge in Public Policies for Health Promotion |
| title_full | Exploring the Viability and Acceptance of Nudge in Public Policies for Health Promotion |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Viability and Acceptance of Nudge in Public Policies for Health Promotion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Viability and Acceptance of Nudge in Public Policies for Health Promotion |
| title_short | Exploring the Viability and Acceptance of Nudge in Public Policies for Health Promotion |
| title_sort | exploring the viability and acceptance of nudge in public policies for health promotion |
| topic | health public health nudging governance strategies political science public administration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/4/476 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT teresaforte exploringtheviabilityandacceptanceofnudgeinpublicpoliciesforhealthpromotion AT goncalosantinha exploringtheviabilityandacceptanceofnudgeinpublicpoliciesforhealthpromotion AT martapatrao exploringtheviabilityandacceptanceofnudgeinpublicpoliciesforhealthpromotion |