Our primary conclusion is that there is a lack of compelling evidence that incentives of any form represent a compelling NCD reduction strategy .
The rising epidemic of non-communicable diseases ( NCDs ) poses substantial health and economic challenges to both individuals and society .
Application of incentive-based strategies based on traditional and behavioural economic theory has emerged as a potential strategy to address rising rates of NCDs .
Yet , whether or not incentives truly represent a promising strategy for addressing NCDs has not been systematic ally addressed nor is it clear whether certain behavioural economic strategies outperform others or simply offering a cash-based incentive for meeting a goal .
In this systematic review we aim to determine whether there is an evidence base for any of these strategies .
Contingencies for change in complacent smokers.
The majority of smokers have no plans to quit in the near future . These complacent smokers are less likely to quit than other smokers , and few interventions are known to reduce smoking in this population . Although monetary incentives can reduce complacent smokers ' breath carbon monoxide ( BCO ) levels , it is not clear whether these effects can be sustained beyond the several weeks that past studies have examined . The authors compared complacent smokers r and omly assigned to receive incentives for BCO reductions ( n=18 ) or noncontingent incentives ( n=19 ) for 3 months . Contingent incentives were associated with ( a ) reduced BCO ; ( b ) more BCO sample s indicative of abstinence ; ( c ) fewer cigarettes smoked and more days abstinent at study end ; and ( d ) lower salivary cotinine . These behaviors can predict future cessation , and 2 of the 18 smokers ( 11 % ) receiving BCO-contingent incentives reported quitting as compared with none in the control group . Contingency management procedures , such as those used here , may effectively promote cessation among complacent smokers and provide a model for underst and ing the possible effects of some environmental interventions ( like workplace smoking bans ) on the behavior of complacent smokers
Our primary conclusion is that there is a lack of compelling evidence that incentives of any form represent a compelling NCD reduction strategy .
The rising epidemic of non-communicable diseases ( NCDs ) poses substantial health and economic challenges to both individuals and society .
Application of incentive-based strategies based on traditional and behavioural economic theory has emerged as a potential strategy to address rising rates of NCDs .
Yet , whether or not incentives truly represent a promising strategy for addressing NCDs has not been systematic ally addressed nor is it clear whether certain behavioural economic strategies outperform others or simply offering a cash-based incentive for meeting a goal .
In this systematic review we aim to determine whether there is an evidence base for any of these strategies .