The impact of short-term incentives on physical activity in a UK behavioural incentives programme.

This observational study investigates whether the provision of ongoing short-term-incentives for verified physical activity increases and sustains levels of physical activity. We compared UK members at baseline (years 1 and 2) prior to Vitality's Active Rewards (VAR) intervention commencing (year 3) and follow-up (year 4) for verified, self-reported (encompassing additional physical activities), mortality relative risk and satisfaction with physical activity. Members were categorised into low-active, medium-active and high-active by tertiles of baseline physical activity.

Participation in fitness-related activities of an incentive-based health promotion program and hospital costs: a retrospective longitudinal study.

Purpose: A retrospective, longitudinal study examined changes in participation in fitness-related activities and hospital claims over 5 years amongst members of an incentivized health promotion program offered by a private health insurer.

Design: A 3-year retrospective observational analysis measuring gym visits and participation in documented fitness-related activities, probability of hospital admission, and associated costs of admission.

Setting: A South African private health plan, Discovery Health and the Vitality health promotion program.

The association between medical costs and participation in the vitality health promotion program among 948,974 members of a South African health insurance company.

Purpose: Examine the association between the levels of participation in an incentive-based health promotion program (Vitality) and inpatient medical claims among members of a major health insurer.

Design: A 1-year, cross-sectional, correlational analyses of engagement with a health promotion program and hospital claims experience (admissions costs, days in hospital, and admission rate) of members of a national private health insurer.

Setting: Adult members of South Africa's largest national private health insurer, Discovery Health.

Fitness-related activities and medical claims related to hospital admissions - South Africa, 2006.

Introduction: We report on the effect of an incentive-based wellness program on medical claims and hospital admissions among members of a major health insurer. The focus of this investigation was specifically on fitness-related activities in this insured population.

Methods: Adult members of South Africa's largest private health insurer (n = 948,974) were grouped, a priori, on the basis of documented participation in fitness-related activities, including gym visits, into inactive (80%, equivalent to < or =3 gym visits/y), low active (7.