John Anett, Orkin Kate
Department of Economics, University of Birmingham, UK.
Blavatnik School of Government and Centre for Study of African Economies, University of Oxford, UK.
J Eur Econ Assoc. 2021 Nov 30;20(3):1001-1047. doi: 10.1093/jeea/jvab052. eCollection 2022 Jun.
Behavioral constraints may explain part of the low demand for preventive health products. We test the effects of two light-touch psychological interventions on water chlorination and related health and economic outcomes using a randomized controlled trial among 3,750 women in rural Kenya. One intervention encourages participants to visualize alternative realizations of the future, and the other builds participants' ability to make concrete plans. After 12 weeks, visualization increases objectively measured chlorination, reduces diarrhea episodes among children, and increases savings. Effects on chlorination and savings persist after almost 3 years. Effects of the planning intervention are weaker and largely insignificant. Analysis of mechanisms suggests both interventions increase self-efficacy-beliefs about one's ability to achieve desired outcomes. Visualization also increases participants' skill in forecasting their future utility. The interventions do not differentially affect beliefs and knowledge about chlorination. Results suggest simple psychological interventions can increase future-oriented behaviors, including use of preventive health technologies.
行为限制可能是预防性健康产品需求较低的部分原因。我们在肯尼亚农村的3750名妇女中进行了一项随机对照试验，测试了两种轻度心理干预对水氯化及相关健康和经济结果的影响。一种干预措施鼓励参与者设想未来的不同实现方式，另一种则培养参与者制定具体计划的能力。12周后，设想增加了客观测量的氯化程度，减少了儿童腹泻发作次数，并增加了储蓄。对氯化和储蓄的影响在近3年后仍然存在。规划干预的效果较弱且大多不显著。机制分析表明，两种干预措施都增强了人们对实现预期结果能力的自我效能信念。设想还提高了参与者预测未来效用的技能。这些干预措施对关于氯化的信念和知识没有差异影响。结果表明，简单的心理干预可以增加面向未来的行为，包括使用预防性健康技术。
