Creative Economics and Behavioral Design for Proactive Health
SCOPE:
Against the backdrop of an escalating global healthcare burden, the traditional paradigm of reactive medical care is progressively shifting toward a model of proactive health. However, a persistent challenge in public health remains how to effectively guide individuals from awareness to sustained behavioral change.
This special issue explores the deep intersection between Creative Economics and Behavioral Design. It examines how principles from behavioral economics, particularly nudge theory, can be applied through low-cost and thoughtfully designed interventions to stimulate voluntary and sustained engagement in health-promoting behaviors, including physical activity, dietary choices, and psychological self-regulation, while preserving individual freedom of choice.
The issue seeks innovative pathways that transform healthy behaviors from a perceived burden of self-discipline into a form of pleasurable consumption, reframing health engagement as intrinsically rewarding rather than externally imposed.
TOPICS:
This special issue invites interdisciplinary scholars to submit manuscripts grounded in empirical research or innovative design frameworks. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
l Nudge Design Theory: Studies on lightweight intervention mechanisms that facilitate the formation of proactive health habits.
l Gamified Health Interventions: Evaluation of game mechanics, badge systems, and social incentives in health management applications.
l Creative Economics Perspectives: Marketization pathways and value assessment frameworks that conceptualize health behaviors as creative products.
l Social Innovation and Public Policy: Inducive exercise design in urban public spaces, such as musical staircases and interactive walking pathways.
l Dietary Behavior Reshaping: The influence of visual design and environmental cues on healthy food choices, including choice architecture in smart canteens.
l Data Driven Behavioral Prediction: Precision health nudge strategies based on big data analytics and artificial intelligence.
l Ethics and Governance: Examination of the boundary between guidance and manipulation in behavioral design and its ethical implications.
IMPORTANT DATES
l Manuscript submission deadline: July 30, 2026
l Notification of acceptance: September 29, 2026
l Submission of final revised paper: November 4, 2026
l Publication of special issue (tentative): November 16, 2026
MAIN GUEST EDITOR:
Cui Tianjian, Southeast University
GUEST EDITORS:
Ying Weiqiang, Senior Engineer, Zhejiang University City College
Yao Yousheng, Professor, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering
Wang Haiwen,Professor, Wuhan Technology and Business University
