Living with a good example
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat. Nagging may be the traditional behavior modification technique for a spouse who wants his or her partner to live better. But if you want to know what works, a researcher recommends being a good example. Tracy Falba of Duke University bases that on national survey data on couples. ``We consistently found that, when one spouse made a positive change in health behavior, such as quitting smoking, drinking, or getting a flu shot, the other was much more likely to do so as well.’’ (8 seconds) That was also true for starting to exercise and getting a cholesterol check. And sometimes, it was striking. Husbands whose wives got a flu shot were about 40 percentage points more likely to get a shot, too. The study in the journal Health Services Research was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Learn more at hhs.gov. HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss. Last revised: September, 21 2007 |