How Incentives in mHealth Apps Promote Physical Activity and Sustainable Transit
Explore how incentive-driven mHealth apps boost physical activity and public transportation use, benefiting health and sustainability through strategic reward systems.
Walking offers numerous health benefits, yet many individuals do not meet the recommended daily step count. Mobile health (mHealth) applications have emerged as effective tools to encourage increased physical activity by tracking users' movements and delivering wellness incentives. The variation in how these apps motivate users—through reward structures—plays a crucial role in their effectiveness.
Dr. Haruka Kato, a Junior Associate Professor at Osaka Metropolitan University, conducted a study examining the impact of incentive designs within a specific mHealth app called HealthSmart-Senboku. Developed for residents and visitors of Senboku New-Town in Japan, this app features unique incentives that convert daily step counts into digital rewards, fostering healthy lifestyles and active transportation.
The app offers two primary incentive types: users can exchange their steps for shopping coupons redeemable at local stores or for digital train tickets for travel along Nankai Railway's Senboku Line. Over a five-month period, data revealed that users exchanging steps for train tickets increased their daily walking by an average of 626 steps, while those using shopping coupons walked approximately 715 steps more daily than non-participants.
These findings suggest that well-designed incentive systems within mHealth apps can effectively promote physical activity and encourage public transportation use. Dr. Kato emphasized, "Incentivizing active travel through digital rewards not only benefits individual health but also supports sustainable transit initiatives, contributing to healthier and more environmentally friendly communities."
This research highlights the potential for mHealth tools to foster healthier behaviors and promote eco-friendly transportation choices, demonstrating the value of strategic incentive structures in digital health interventions.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-mhealth-app-incentives-health-transit.html
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