Stockholm university
Department of Economics

Yunxi Yang wins best thesis in health economics 2025

Yunxi Yang has been awarded a scholarship from the Swedish Institute for Health Economics and the Bengt Jönsson Foundation for Health Economics Research.

Yunxi Yang
Photo: Private

Yunxi Yang wrote the thesis during her final master’s studies in economics in the spring of 2025. In the thesis, she examines why wellness policies often fail to deliver their intended results.

What does your thesis show?

”I investigate the behavioral and structural obstacles that limit the effectiveness of public health and welfare policies aimed at promoting healthier behaviors. I show that only individuals with an intermediate preference for physical activity respond to wellness policies, which means that financial incentives alone are often insufficient. A more effective approach is to combine incentives with increased accessibility and educational interventions. It can boost participation in physical activity and improve health outcomes such as reducing obesity.”

What was your work process like?

”I really enjoyed writing this thesis and working with my supervisor, Jakob Svensson. Building the model was definitely the most enjoyable part, while the empirical work was more challenging, particularly in terms of data collection. However, I would say I learned the most from my discussions with Jakob about empirical strategies.”

How might your findings be put to use?

”Financial incentives alone rarely succeed in changing habits. It is more effective if activities are also made more accessible and combined with education.”

What will you do now?

”I will continue in academia as a teaching assistant this semester, with plans to pursue a research assistant role and apply for doctoral studies later this year.”

About the thesis and the scholarship

Find Yunxi Yang’s thesis here:

Incentivizing Health: A Theoretical and Empirical Evaluation of the Effect of Wellness Policy on Health Outcomes

The Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE) is an independent health economic research institute founded in 1979. The 50,000 SEK scholarship was established in 2017 and is awarded based on the thesis relevance and quality.

Award citation for 2025

Best thesis in health economics 2025

Theme
Economy and Society - Theme page

Last updated: September 4, 2025

Source: Department of Economics

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