Nudging and Health: An Experimental Study on Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Duygu Tulan Tohumcu*, Hüseyin Daştan** and Emine Kartal Baykan**
Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Economics, , Erzuırum Technical University, Erzurum, Türkiye*
Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Economics, , Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum, Türkiye**
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism Diseases, University of Health Sciences, Erzurum City Hospital, Erzurum, Türkiye***
Abstract: Nudging, grounded in behavioral economics, refers to the systematic shaping of choice environments in ways that influence behavior without constraining individual autonomy. This study examines the effectiveness of a mobile application-based nudging intervention in supporting disease management among patients with Type 2 diabetes. Sixty patients were assigned to experimental and control groups and followed for six months under a controlled intervention design. In addition to routine clinical follow-up, patients in the experimental group received regular behavioral prompts integrated into daily monitoring. Changes in HbA1c, HDL, and LDL levels were assessed alongside indicators of health-related behavior. The intervention was associated with a marked improvement in metabolic outcomes. Relative to baseline, HbA1c levels declined by 1.988 units, HDL levels increased by 7.157 units, and LDL levels decreased by 37.751 units in the experimental group. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that digitally mediated nudging can meaningfully enhance chronic disease management and underline the relevance of behavioral economics for innovation in health-related organizational practices.
Keywords: Behavioral Economics, Nudging, Health Innovation, Type 2 Diabetes, Digital Health.
