HHS HealthBeat (September 21, 2007)

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: May 7, 2011