Monday may indeed be the most effective day to reach people with health messages, a new study has found.
According to a nationwide survey conducted by FGI Research for The Monday Campaigns, most of the people see Monday as the day for a fresh start: it’s when they’re most likely to quit smoking, start a diet or begin an exercise regimen.
The Monday Campaigns is a nonprofit initiative in association with Johns Hopkins, Columbia and Syracuse Universities.
“We think of Monday as the January of the week,” Newswise quoted Sid Lerner, founder and chairman of The Monday Campaigns as saying.
"It’s a call to action built into every calendar, giving you 52 chances for success," Lerner said.
Monday Campaigns’ public health researcher Morgan Johnson also noticed a “Monday surge” in behaviours such as calling tobacco-quit lines and searching for health-related information on the Internet. Johnson concludes “people are clearly open to engaging in healthy behaviours on Monday, so it makes a good nudge day to help people stay on track.”
{{/usCountry}}Monday Campaigns’ public health researcher Morgan Johnson also noticed a “Monday surge” in behaviours such as calling tobacco-quit lines and searching for health-related information on the Internet. Johnson concludes “people are clearly open to engaging in healthy behaviours on Monday, so it makes a good nudge day to help people stay on track.”
{{/usCountry}}Starting each week with a reminder may offer an added boost for healthy behaviour. A literature review conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that weekly messaging can help change behaviours like diet and physical activity.
In addition, the FGI survey indicates that 74 percent of people thought a Monday start would help them follow through on their health intentions for the week.