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Updated: Nov 4, 2025
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Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
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One Size Does Not Fit All: Financial Incentives Needed to Change Physical Exercise Levels for Different Groups.
Alberto Longo1, Eileen Mitchell1, Anil Markandya2
1School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Summary
Monetary incentives can encourage physical activity, with median willingness to accept (WTA) for a 10,000 steps/day goal being low. Higher incentives are needed for inactive or overweight individuals to adopt healthier behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Economics
- Health Economics
Background:
- Physical inactivity is a global health concern.
- Behavioral interventions often require incentives to promote lifestyle changes.
- Understanding willingness to accept (WTA) monetary incentives is crucial for designing effective health programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the distribution of WTA for a physical activity intervention (10,000 steps/day).
- To identify incentive levels that trigger behavior change in different population segments.
- To explore WTA variations across demographic and health-risk subgroups.
Main Methods:
- An online contingent valuation (CV) survey was conducted with 1130 respondents in Spain.
- Respondents' physical activity levels and intentions were assessed.
- Nonparametric WTA values were calculated for the total sample and specific subgroups (active, inactive, overweight/obese).
Main Results:
- One-quarter of respondents would participate without payment, but incentives increased uptake.
- Median WTA for 10,000 steps/day was €0.23 (full sample), with variations across subgroups.
- The 75th percentile WTA ranged from €1.70 (active) to €10.80 (inactive), indicating significant heterogeneity.
- Lack of time and low intention to be active positively influenced WTA.
Conclusions:
- Monetary incentives can be effective in promoting physical activity, but required amounts vary significantly.
- Targeted incentive strategies may be necessary for specific subgroups, particularly inactive individuals.
- WTA is influenced by personal factors like time availability and motivation, informing intervention design.
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