Investigation of willingness to participate in a health education symposium by using nudges in the flyer for university students: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: To investigate willingness to participate in a health education-related symposium by using nudges in the flyer targeted at university students.

Methods: 917 university students were randomly assigned to three groups, and different flyers of a health education-related symposium were sent by e-mail to investigate their willingness to participate. The control group was given detailed information based on a conventional flyer, the “Easy nudge group” was given 73% fewer words than the control group, and the “EAST nudge group” was designed a four-frame cartoon and a portrait of the organizer in accordance with the EAST nudge framework.

Results: The respondents were 70, 67 and 71 students in the control group, “Easy nudge group,” and “EAST nudge group,” respectively. The number of respondents who answered “want to participate but the schedule does not match” and “will participate” was 30.0%, 40.3%, and 47.9% respectively, which was significantly higher in the “EAST nudge group” than in the control group. In terms of impressions of the flyer, the control group was significantly lower than the other two groups in “easy to read” and “immediately want to read,” while the control group was significantly higher than the simplified nudge group in “felt uncomfortable.

Conclusion: Information overload in existing flyers is a disincentive to participation, and designing easy nudges, as removal of inhibiting factors, and timely nudges, as a facilitator, can improve willingness. The study has limitations, such as the fact that the actual number of participants was not used as an outcome, and further validation is required.