In Combined Lifestyle Interventions participants pursue a healthier lifestyle and are guided by a coach. Financial stress can impede behavior change. CLI-coaches express a need for knowledge, skills and practical tools for identifying, discussing and supporting participants experiencing financial stress. 

Objective

Three HU research groups cooperate with lifestyle coaches, persons with lived experience and the social welfare sector, in developing knowledge and tools for CLI-coaches. CLI-coaches and the social welfare sector can cooperate in providing tailored assistance in pursuing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This means CLI-coaches can recognize financial stress as a barrier to behavior change; can support participants in coping with financial stress as a barrier to behavior change; can offer integral support in cooperation with the social welfare sector which is aimed at resolving financial stress.

Taking into account financial stress in a CLI-program may prevent dropout and may support lifestyle change. Since the underlying financial problem can’t be solved in a CLI-program, cooperation between CLI-coaches and the social welfare sector, such as financial counsellors, is essential. 

Results

The expected output of the project are tools for CLI-coaches aimed at tailored support and best practices for cooperation between CLI-coaches and the social welfare sector. 

 

Duration

01 September 2025 - 01 September 2027

Approach

Action plan: 

  • Building a knowledge base for tailored coaching techniques and cooperation with the social welfare sector 
  • Developing supplementary coaching techniques for CLI-coaches 
  • Buidling best practices for cooperation between CLI-coaches and the social welfare sector in three local pilots and one national pilot 
  • Combining and presenting the results  

"“Mental capacity is needed for self-control, when you don’t have this mind space, then there is a good chance that you will only have experiences of failure.”"

Person with lived experience of poverty

Impact on education

The intended impact is: 

  • Reduction of financial stress of CLI-participants 
  • Increase of knowledge and skills of CLI-coaches 
  • Strengthening integral cooperation 
  • Knowledge for continued development of tailored coaching in CLI-programs aimed at supporting participants with financial stress.

We develop educational materials and cooperate with students in graduation assignments and enriched learning environments. We cooperate with among others, the HU Centre for Health and Welfare. 

HU researchers involved in the research

Related research groups

Cofinancing

RAAK-Publiek 

 

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