Cash Incentives Research Articles

Политика в отношении рождаемости и здорового образа жизни в России: особенности стимулирования граждан

Social and demographic problems associated with an increase in the birth rate and the number of citizens leading a healthy lifestyle have many intersection points both in the field of health and in the field of socio-economic relations. Projects to improve fertility indicators and healthy lifestyles, presented in strategic documents and relevant policies, reflect different attitudes of the authorities towards stimulating citizens. Unlike having children, maintaining a healthy lifestyle by citizens does not provide for material or non-material incentives from the state. At the same time, the currently existing material incentives for the birth rate show their insufficiency, which raises the question of additional or alternative ways to motivate citizens. The solution to this approach requires an integrated approach. On the one hand, the use of an information resource available through the education system and the media space opens up the opportunity for the authorities to influence the attitude of citizens towards issues of fertility, values and status of the family and health. In this context, the attitude of citizens towards the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, as one of the conditions for strengthening the family and maintaining reproductive health, would also change. On the other hand, the media must popularize the idea that individual unlimited consumption also has a limit in the form of health and life expectancy. Consumption can be expanded at the expense of families if the state stimulates family consumption, and not just distributes one-time cash incentives.

Financial Incentives for COVID-19 Vaccines Help

Cash incentives for COVID-19 vaccination involve offering individuals a financial reward as an encouragement to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. This strategy has been implemented by various governments, organizations, and businesses as part of their efforts to increase vaccination rates. Duch and colleagues randomly assigned about 700 residents of several villages in Ghana to four groups in a cluster-controlled trial. The results show that participants assigned to the cash incentive treatments had an average rate of 81% (1,733 of 2,168) compared to 71% (1,895 of 2,669) for those in the placebo treatment arm. For self-reported vaccinations, the average rate for participants in the cash treatment was 3.5% higher than for participants in the placebo treatment (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.001, 6.9; P = 0.045): 40% (602 of 1,486) versus 36.3% (672 of 1,850). These results suggest that cash incentives help in vaccination uptake but paradoxically, low cash incentives resulted in higher vaccine uptake compared to high cash incentives. We found that cash incentives motivate individuals who may be hesitant or reluctant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Financial rewards can serve as an additional motivator for those who may be on the fence about getting vaccinated. Trial identifier: AEARCTR-0008775. Nat Med. 2023 Nov 27. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02670-4.

Financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccines in a rural low-resource setting: a cluster-randomized trial

We implemented a clustered randomized controlled trial with 6,963 residents in six rural Ghana districts to estimate the causal impact of financial incentives on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination uptake. Villages randomly received one of four video treatment arms: a placebo, a standard health message, a high cash incentive (60 Ghana cedis) and a low cash incentive (20 Ghana cedis). For the first co-primary outcome—COVID-19 vaccination intentions—non-vaccinated participants assigned to the cash incentive treatments had an average rate of 81% (1,733 of 2,168) compared to 71% (1,895 of 2,669) for those in the placebo treatment arm. For the other co-primary outcome of self-reported vaccinations 2 months after the initial intervention, the average rate for participants in the cash treatment was 3.5% higher than for participants in the placebo treatment (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.001, 6.9; P = 0.045): 40% (602 of 1,486) versus 36.3% (672 of 1,850). We also verified vaccination status of participants: in the cash treatment arm, 36.6% (355 of 1,058) of verified participants had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine compared to 30.3% (439 of 1,544) for those in the placebo—a difference of 6.3% (95% CI: 2.4, 10.2; P = 0.001). For the intention and the vaccination outcomes, the low cash incentive (20 Ghana cedis) had a larger positive effect on COVID-19 vaccine uptake than the high cash incentive (60 Ghana cedis). Trial identifier: AEARCTR-0008775.

How finance-based interventions can improve attainment at school for disadvantaged students: a review of international evidence

ABSTRACT The challenge of improving attainment in schools has been a longstanding issue, particularly in developing countries. This paper uses a structured review to examine causal evidence from research worldwide on the impact of finance-based interventions, including extra funding for school places, cash transfers and incentives to improve attainment in schools. The best evidence suggests that monetary incentives paid directly to students or families are the most effective strategy for raising attainment in less developed school systems. However, cash incentives may not be as effective in developed countries, where they are more useful for changing behaviour, such as completing homework, or attending classes, but not for improving attainment. This may be because students in developed countries already know how to complete homework, but may not know how to improve their test scores. The evidence for other approaches is less clear due to the lack of strong research in those areas.

Incentivizing Employee Pro-Environmental Behaviour: Harnessing the Potential of Green Rewards

The global ecosystem is experiencing swift degradation as a result of climate change propelled by human actions. This degradation has given rise to resource scarcity, a decline in biodiversity, and global warming. There is scientific consensus that climate change is anthropogenic (caused by humans) and that the power to mitigate it lies in human behaviour change. As the overseer of human resources in every organisation, the HRM function is facing mounting pressure to align its practices with environmental management in order to effectively address and reduce the organisation's carbon footprint. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the influence of green employee rewards on employee pro-environmental behaviour in public universities in Kenya. The study developed a measurement model based on the Green Five Taxonomy to evaluate diverse employee green behaviours. It utilised multi-stage sampling, where the purposive sampling technique was used to select three public universities that embraced green HRM practices, followed by stratified random sampling to draw 123 participants from three strata: top management, middle-level management, and others (teaching and non-teaching). The research employed a correlational design, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, with data collected through online questionnaires. Results revealed a moderately strong, positive correlation between green employee rewards and employee pro-environmental behaviour (r =.545, p<.01), indicating a significant, positive link between the two. Additionally, ANOVA results showed that green employee rewards significantly and positively predict pro-environmental behaviour among employees (F (1, 88) = 37.126, p<.001). The study concluded that green employee rewards have a notable and positive influence on employee pro-environmental behaviour. However, it identified gaps in acknowledging and incentivizing environmental efforts among employees. Nonetheless, respondents still exhibited significant pro-environmental behaviour, even in the absence of explicit green rewards, an indication of employees' private green activism rooted in intrinsic motivation. The study made key recommendations among them: cash incentives, eco awards, eco-sponsorships, green recognition boards, and sustainable branded corporate gifts to nurture a sustainability culture.

Improving Attendance and Enrolment at School for Children Living in Poverty

This paper summarises the findings of a large-scale structured review of 73 studies to identify promising interventions to increase school enrolment and attendance, particularly in less developed countries where school attendance is not mandatory. Evidence from the stronger studies suggests that for children living in poverty, provision of easy access to schools, making schools free at point of delivery and incentivising attendance/enrolment with cash offers are the most promising interventions. Incentives with conditions attached are more effective than non-conditional incentives. Paying cash to parents is more effective for young children, while cash incentives are more effective for older children if given directly. Providing easy access to free schools seems most promising in improving school attendance and enrolment in low and middle-income countries.

Keeping Girls in Schools Longer: The Kanyashree Approach in India

Regarding interventions aimed at preventing girls from prematurely dropping out of schools, this study shows that inducing economic empowerment of girls is possible with targeted policies that promote their reproductive empowerment. Using Kanyashree Prakalpa, a conditional cash transfer program implemented in West Bengal, India, that directly incentivized school attendance to delay child marriage, the study finds a strong association between program participation and successfully lowering the historically higher dropout rates post-middle school. Program-eligible girls are 12 percent (7 percent) more likely to be enrolled in or to complete secondary (higher secondary) school, respectively. Program participation is associated with approximately five more months of education. In fact, the efficacy of the program is highly correlated with the length of exposure, and the most benefits are reaped by children in the poorest households. The article discusses three policy interventions, including directly targeting girls as they transition from childhood to young adulthood. HIGHLIGHTS In West Bengal, Kanyashree Prakalpa, a unique cash incentive program, links educational empowerment with girls’ reproductive empowerment. Program participation is strongly associated with successfully lowering the historically higher dropout rates post-middle school. Policies directly targeting adolescent girls are fruitful compared to indirect influence. Policies complementing the cash transfer with other programs based on the girls’ academic achievement are useful.

When to be vaccinated? What to consider? Modelling decision-making and time preference for COVID-19 vaccine through a conjoint experiment

How do citizens choose COVID-19 vaccines, and when do they wish to be vaccinated? A choice-based conjoint experiment was conducted in Hong Kong to examine factors that shape citizens’ preference toward COVID-19 vaccines and their time preference to be vaccinated, which is overlooked in extant literature. Results suggest people are most concerned about vaccines’ efficacy and severe side-effects, and that cash incentives are not useful in enhancing vaccine appeal. The majority of respondents show low intention for immediate vaccination, and many of them want to delay their vaccination. Further analysis shows that their time preference is shaped more by respondent characteristics than vaccine attributes. In particular, confidence in the vaccine, trust in government, and working in high-risk professions are associated with earlier timing for vaccine uptake. Meanwhile, forced COVID testing would delay vaccination. The findings offer a novel view in understanding how people decide whether and when to receive new vaccines, which have pivotal implications for a head start of any mass vaccination programs.

Social and contextual determinants of heat pump adoption in the US: Implications for subsidy policy design

Building electrification with heat pumps (HPs) is an important pillar of decarbonization. The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 provides unprecedented cash incentives to households. However, little is understood of peoples’ preferences or constraints, and hence of the efficacy of these incentives. We develop a residential heating appliance choice model that identifies socio-demographic, contextual and economic determinants of adoption using structural estimation methods with data from the American Housing Survey (AHS). We find that households in warmer, urban areas, with younger heads of household, in larger homes, and with better insulation are more likely to adopt HPs. Using New York state as a case, we predict willingness to pay (WTP) for and adopt HPs under the IRA incentives. We estimate that half of New York households would be willing to adopt HPs by 2030, setting aside other market barriers that could prevent actual adoption. The total subsides would amount to almost four times the IRA’s initial allocation of 9 billion for home improvement for the entire US. The subsidy cost of replacing 70 percent of the heating appliance stock by 2030 could be a third higher. However, this cost could be reduced by 15 percent if subsidies were weighted more towards higher income households, implying a modest trade-off between equity and cost efficiency. These findings underscore the importance of better understanding the heterogeneous home and household conditions that influence HP adoption. Funding for building electrification would have to be increased substantially to achieve high adoption rates.

The Impact of Awarding Incentives on Posyandu Cadre Performance

Background:Stunting is a condition of failure to thrive due to chronic malnutrition that occurs in toddlers. Posyandu is an intervention facility for a specific nutrition program carried out by the Ministry of Health. The role of posyandu cadres is very important in efforts to reduce the prevalence of stunting. The Government of Malang Regency implements a cash incentive program for all posyandu cadres to improve their performance.Objective:This study aims to compare the effect of giving cash incentives on the performance of cadres of Pagelaran Health Center and Gedangan Health Center, Malang Regency.Methods:This study used an observational analytic design using a proportional cluster random sampling technique on 125 Pagelaran Health Center cadres and 125 Gedangan Health Center cadres. The research results were analyzed and interpreted using the SPSS Windows release version 2.1 computer program.Results:The results of this study prove that giving incentives to posyandu cadres in the Pagelaran Health Center work area has no effect on cadre performance with a significance value of 0.98 and giving incentives to posyandu cadres in the Gedangan Health Center work area has no effect on cadre performance with a significance value of 0.657.Conclusion:It can be concluded that the provision of incentives has no direct effect on the performance of posyandu cadres in the work area of Pagelaran Health Center and Gedangan Health Center.

Pricing curb parking: Differentiated parking fees or cash rewards?

Parking price adjustment is an effective method for influencing curb parking choices, playing a crucial role in alleviating urban parking shortages and balancing uneven distribution. The government has extensively explored the implementation of differentiated parking fees and cash incentives for curb parking; however, few studies have investigated the effects of these policies on parking balance management. This study utilized a questionnaire survey to construct two multinomial logit models and examine the mechanisms behind drivers' choice behaviors. Taking the curb parking facilities in Yinzhou District, Ningbo as the case study area, the optimal dynamic pricing schemes for the two strategies were established, and their operational effectiveness was evaluated. The results show that parking cost, value of cash rewards, parking occupancy, and surrounding road conditions have a significant impact on curb parking choice behavior. Both strategies can effectively balance the utilization rate of curb parking space-time resources. The cash rewards strategy yields higher earnings compared to the differentiated parking fee strategy, but the latter is more conducive for reducing the occupancy during peak hours. The research findings of this study can provide insights and a theoretical foundation for real-time and proactive management of roadside parking.

Instrumental variable analysis for cost outcome: Application to the effect of primary care visit on medical cost among low-income adults.

Medical cost data often consist of zero values as well as extremely right-skewed positive values. A two-part model is a popular choice for analyzing medical cost data, where the first part models the probability of a positive cost using logistic regression and the second part models the positive cost using a lognormal or Gamma distribution. To address the unmeasured confounding in studies on cost outcome under two-part models, two instrumental variable (IV) methods, two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) and two-stage prediction substitution (2SPS) are widely applied. However, previous literature demonstrated that both the 2SRI and the 2SPS could fail to consistently estimate the causal effect among compliers under standard IV assumptions for binary and survival outcomes. Our simulation studies confirmed that it continued to be the case for a two-part model, which is another nonlinear model. In this article, we develop a model-based IV approach, Instrumental Variable with Two-Part model (IV2P), to obtain a consistent estimate of the causal effect among compliers for cost outcome under standard IV assumptions. In addition, we develop sensitivity analysis approaches to allow the evaluation of the sensitivity of the causal conclusions to potential quantified violations of the exclusion restriction assumption and the randomization of IV assumption. We apply our method to a randomized cash incentive study to evaluate the effect of a primary care visit on medical cost among low-income adults newly covered by a primary care program.

Rural research capacity: a co-created model for research success.

The United States' National Institutes of Health (NIH) have long challenged academia to improve clinical trial enrollment, especially in underrepresented populations; inclusive of geography, age, disability status, racial and ethnic minorities. It has been shown that rural and urban residents enrolled in clinical trials have similar outcomes, yet, rural healthcare systems struggle to provide opportunities to rural residents to participate in clinical trials when infrastructure is limited or unsupportive of research programs and/or research staffing levels are insufficient. To fully address the barriers to clinical trial access in rural areas, it is not adequate to simply open more trials. Community receptivity of research as well as organizational and community capacity must be considered. This project was determined by the Oregon Health and Science University's Institutional Review Board to be generalizable research across the chosen counties and was approved to operate under a waiver of written consent. Participants received a cash incentive in appreciation for their time and verbally agreed to participate after reviewing a project information sheet. The research team co-created a community-responsive approach to the receipt, review, and acceptance of clinical trials in a rural community setting. An adapted 5 step Implementation Mapping approach was used to develop a systematic strategy intended to increase the success, and therefore, the number of clinical trials offered in a rural community. The research team and participating rural community members pilot-tested the implementation of a co-designed research review strategy, inclusive of a Regional Cultural Landscape and three co-created project submission and feasibility review forms, with a cancer early detection clinical trial. The proposed clinical trial required engagement from primary care and oncology. Utilizing the research review strategy demonstrated strong researcher-community stakeholder communication and negotiation, which resulted in early identification and resolution of potential barriers, hiring a local clinical research coordinator, and timely trial opening. To the knowledge of the research team, the work described is the first to use a community-engaged approach for creating a clinical trial implementation strategy directly supportive of rural-sitting community stakeholders in receiving, reviewing, and approving cancer-related clinical trials in their community. Participating community members and leaders had the chance to negotiate research protocol changes or considerations directly with researchers interested in conducting a cancer clinical trial in their rural setting.

Examining the case for direct contracting: A multistakeholder case study

BackgroundEmployers and pharmacies are challenged by a complex system for prescription payment. Cost plus direct contracts for prescriptions and bundled services may yield benefits. ObjectivesThis study aimed to (1) explore direct contracting using multistakeholder interviews, (2) compare employer costs and employee copays for 6 months of prescription charges under their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) with projected costs under a pharmacy direct contract, (3) project pharmacy revenue, costs, and net profit had these prescriptions been processed through the direct contract, and (4) assess employee satisfaction under the direct contract. MethodsSemistructured stakeholder interviews were recorded transcribed and analyzed to identify different perspectives on direct contracting. Employer PBM invoices for 412 employee prescriptions over 6 months were analyzed to calculate employer and employee costs and reanalyzed for the invoice cost plus $12 professional fee direct contract. For the pharmacy financial analysis projection, invoice costs and a $9.82 cost of dispensing were subtracted from total revenue to yield an estimated profit had the parties been under the arrangement. A 34-item satisfaction survey was mailed using a 4-contact design with cash incentives to the 20 employees serviced by the direct contract that were analyzed descriptively. ResultsEight stakeholder interviews described the benefits and potential challenges of such direct contracts. The financial analysis suggested the employer costs would be $5664 lower and employee copays would have been $1918 lower had all prescriptions been paid using the direct contract. The estimated profit for the pharmacy was projected at $899. Survey respondents were generally satisfied with the direct contract, but few used the bundled services. ConclusionThe direct contract may be financially beneficial for all parties. It also may offer more transparent pricing that may be desirable for the employer and pharmacy. Greater uptake of bundled services may increase the value to the employer.

Experiences and Perspectives of Student Nurses Toward Volunteerism during Health Emergencies: A Systematic Review

Abstract The paper discusses how volunteerism, especially among nursing students, helps solve health crises. The study emphasizes community preparedness and volunteers’ unique role in supporting healthcare professionals during crises. Volunteers seek out opportunities to help, unlike emergency responders. Nursing students, a major employment source, are shown to be capable of first aid and emotional support. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the unprecedented need for volunteers. Research shows that nursing students worldwide are willing to help in health emergencies. Professional ethics, humanity, and learning motivate. Self-care issues, system support issues, and psychological impacts are obstacles. The study uses a mixed-methods technique and the PRISMA framework to examine nursing students’ health crisis volunteering experiences, goals, and perceptions. The data show volunteer nursing students’ pleasures and problems. Although volunteering is rewarding, worries about self-care, family well-being, and psychological effects arise. Emotional stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, sleep difficulties, guilt, and a lack of support affect nursing students’ mental health. Witnessing and experiencing health emergencies can cause emotional stress, highlighting the need for personalized solutions. The report recommends cash incentives, extensive training, and explicit protocols to increase student volunteering. Nursing students can safely volunteer in high-stress situations by recognizing and addressing the mental health risks and providing support and tools. The article recommends a holistic approach to volunteerism that recognizes its benefits and promotes the mental health and well-being of motivated nursing students. Nursing students helping in health emergencies need sufficient training, psychological support, and self-care to protect their mental health, according to the study. Providing support, shifting schedules, and understanding the emotional toll of employment are vital. Nursing schools should include emergency response training to prepare students for pandemic leadership.

Performance of ‘Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)’ in Udaipur District of Rajasthan

Maternal health is crucial for a healthy family, a healthy society and a healthy nation. Poor maternal health has been a major issue of concern both at the global and national levels and many initiatives have been taken to improve it. It was one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ‘Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) was launched in India in 2005 to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by increasing institutional deliveries so that women can have better ante-natal and post-natal care with cash incentives. It is necessary to assess how this scheme has contributed to improvising maternal health parameters, especially in the low-performing areas at the time of its implementation. Thus, this paper tries to analyse the performance of JSY in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan which is majorly a tribal area and poor performing district of the poorly performing state in this regard and compare it with the state performance. For this purpose, the achievements of the five parameters related to maternal health and JSY, i.e., antenatal registration within 12 weeks, at least three antenatal check-ups, institutional deliveries, JSY beneficiaries and immunization were analysed for Udaipur and Rajasthan with the help of secondary data collected from Directorate of Medical, Health & Family Welfare Services, Jaipur from the year 2008-09 to 2018-19. The composite performance index of JSY was also computed and compared to summarise its performance at both levels. It is concluded that the performance of JSY has improved in Udaipur and Rajasthan during the study period. Still, both are far from achieving the targets of JSY, especially of 100 per cent institutional delivery, and have to put in extra efforts to achieve them.

The impact of cash incentives on mental health among adults initiating antiretroviral therapy in Tanzania

ABSTRACT Mental illness is prevalent among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and hinders engagement in HIV care. While financial incentives are effective at improving mental health and retention in care, the specific effect of such incentives on the mental health of PLHIV lacks quantifiable evidence. We evaluated the impact of a three-arm randomized controlled trial of a financial incentive program on the mental health of adult antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiates in Tanzania. Participants were randomized 1:1:1 into one of two cash incentive (combined; provided monthly conditional on clinic attendance) or the control arm. We measured the prevalence of emotional distress, depression, and anxiety via a difference-in-differences model which quantifies changes in the outcomes by arm over time. Baseline prevalence of emotional distress, depression, and anxiety among the 530 participants (346 intervention, 184 control) was 23.8%, 26.6%, and 19.8%, respectively. The prevalence of these outcomes decreased substantially over the study period; additional benefit of the cash incentives was not detected. In conclusion, poor mental health was common although the prevalence declined rapidly during the first six months on ART. The cash incentives did not increase these improvements, however they may have indirect benefit by motivating early linkage to and retention in care. Clinical Trial Number: NCT03341556

The Three-party Evolutionary Game Under "Re-familization" Family Policies

With the development of society and the change of fertility culture, the fertility rate is gradually decreasing around the world, which leads to a lot of problems, so the Chinese government is seeking effective family policies to improve fertility levels. Based on the evolutionary game theory, the article defines the three participants in the evolutionary process of fertility choice and their payoff functions, then constructs a three-party evolutionary game model among individuals, firms and local governments, and finally analyzes the strategic choices of each party under the government-led family policies. The findings suggest that economic policies that directly give cash incentives and tax benefits are more effective in increasing fertility rate and creating a fertility-friendly social environment. Thus, the author suggests that the government should mainly use economic policies to promote the increase of fertility level and solve the social problem of low fertility rate.

The Impact of Modest Cash Incentives on Home Visiting Enrollment and Participation

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe Impact of Modest Cash Incentives on Home Visiting Enrollment and ParticipationRobin Jacob and Megan Foster FriedmanRobin Jacob Search for more articles by this author and Megan Foster Friedman Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Health Economics Just Accepted Published for the American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon) Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/724793 Views: 5Total views on this site HistoryAccepted February 24, 2023 © 2023 American Society of Health Economics. All Rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Why Do Students Participate in Campus Sexual Assault Climate Surveys?

The purpose of the current study is to explore students' reasons for participating in a campus sexual assault climate survey to determine if patterns exist based on various identities and experiences. More specifically, we were interested in the most frequently reported reasons for participating, and whether they differed by key demographic variables. As part of a campus climate survey administration at two campuses, 4,020 students responded to survey questions asking why they participated in the survey (Sample 1, n = 2,937 and Sample 2, n = 1,083). To examine which demographic variables predicted reasons for taking the survey while controlling for other potential correlates, we conducted logistic regression analyses. The reasons provided by students as to why they completed the campus climate survey differed by identity characteristics, suggesting that researchers must consider the demographic makeup of their institutions when designing sampling and recruitment plans and tailoring them to their student populations. For example, while gender emerged as salient for differing reasons for participation (e.g., women more likely to participate because of the issue's importance and wanting their opinions heard more), intersectional analysis by race and gender indicates that White men (and Asian men, in Sample 1) most consistently indicated different reasons for participation, with significantly greater odds than their White and Asian women counterparts to participate for the cash incentives. This information could help improve the recruitment of representative samples for campus sexual assault surveys and therefore provide more accurate data that can be used to deliver effective intervention and prevention efforts.