How do you stimulate healthy behavior in citizens?
Expertise center of the municipality of Rotterdam and EUR
Healthy’R is the center of expertise by the municipality and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The center stimulates Rotterdamers to make healthier choices.
Healthy’R combines the knowledge about behavior and health with practical issues. We develop interventions to promote healthy behavior and we examine whether those interventions produce the desired effect. For example, we explore how minor changes in the social and physical environment influence, or nudge behavior. Nudging is based on the theory of behavior unconsciously being determined by routine and habits. We integrate this concept to encourage healthy behavior with a ‘nudge’.
Healthy’R consists of a team of researchers from EUR and the municipality along with policy staff from the Social Development sector.
Designing and testing behavioral interventions
We test and design behavioral interventions through Healthy’R. We provide regular workshops in and outside of Rotterdam in order to share our knowledge. Our findings are reported in infographics, policy reports and scientific journals to ensure that our research is widely available and accessible.
Project Partners involved in Healthy’R are:
- ErasmusMc
- Huisartsenpraktijken in Rotterdam en omgeving
- Indigo Preventie
- Avant Sanare
In addition to receiving input from the municipality and EUR/ESSB faculty, Healthy’R conducts its research through grants provided by ZonMw, Concordia de Keizer, FNO and Fonds Achterstandswijken (FAW).