The health attitudes of those 40 to 64 in the U.S. population who go to a health club once a week or more have changed significantly over the past decade opening up opportunities for health clubs to ally themselves with those concerned with employee health, from insurance plans to employers, physician groups to hospitals.
This conclusion comes from studies conducted by Motivo consulting, a division of Strategic Directions Group, Inc., in both 2004 and late 2015 as part of its 25 years of research on the health attitudes of the 40 and older U.S. population.
“The 40 to 64 age group is particularly important because it is the one during which chronic disease begins to manifest itself. Positive changes in health attitudes at this age bode well for good health later in life, including lower health-care costs, says Doran J. Levy, Ph.D., Motivo consulting’s executive vice president.
“While behaviors and demographics provide some insight into those who regularly work out at a health club, Motivo consulting’s studies define what motivates this activity. Our studies focus on the why behind health-related choices, including the decision to work out in a health club once a week or more.”
Motivo consulting’s studies show that compared to a decade ago those who visit a health club once a week or more now have higher scores—that is, a higher level of commitment—on 4 of Motivo consulting’s 7 attitudinal dimensions: Healthy Lifestyle, Self-determination, Trust in Doctors, and Getting a Checkup.
While Healthy Lifestyle, Trust in Doctors, and Getting a Checkup are self-explanatory, high scorers on Self-determination believe that they are in charge of making their own health-related decisions. For example, they would do other things rather than take a pharmaceutical drug.
Motivo consulting’s 7 critical health dimensions are extracted from the firm’s three separate segmentation strategies based on attitudes: Health in general, Health Information, and Health Compliance. These dimensions are described at http://www.motivoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Motivo-web-site-7-dimensions.pdf
Pinpointing best prospects by understanding their health motivations can be effectively, reliably and cost-effectively achieved by using Motivo consulting’s Morgan-Levy Health Club e-health system. For example, those who score high on Healthy Lifestyle, but who are not yet exercising, should be sufficiently incentivized to commit to participation. Success will come to those who understand and target communications to the most lucrative and approachable targets based on their attitudinal profiles.