The University of Essex, renowned for its comprehensive and research-intensive programmes, is teaming up with YuLife, a revolutionary tech-driven financial services company with a focus on employee wellbeing.
This partnership will involve a research project, with the intention of providing scientific-based evidence on the potential of YuLife’s gamified app to inspire healthier lifestyles, thereby improving individual health and wellbeing. The ultimate goal is to establish a validated model for the insurance industry to better assess organisational risk.
YuLife is changing the game in the insurance industry by evolving traditional group insurance into a true preventative healthcare tool that is utilised daily. They achieve this by creating an engaging environment in the YuLife app where members can earn rewards for various activities such as walking, working out, cycling, and meditation. These rewards can be converted into various benefits such as tree planting, ocean cleaning, groceries and vouchers from popular brands.
The two-year project, supported by Innovate UK, marks the first partnership for the newly established Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing at the University of Essex. Through the use of artificial intelligence and longitudinal analyses, the project will explore the causal relationship between app engagement and health improvements, as well as the impact of advanced game mechanics incorporating principles from behavioural psychology. It will also provide insights into the economic impacts on businesses and the overall health of their workforce.
YuLife’s CEO and Founder, Sammy Rubin, expressed his excitement about the partnership and said, “It is exciting for YuLife to be a part of a scientific study where, for the first time in the insurance industry, academic researchers in public health will validate how gamification impacts health and wellbeing for the better.
“Since founding YuLife, our core mission has been to breathe life back into life insurance by incentivising healthy behaviours to de-risk individuals. We look forward to seeing the evidence emerge from this partnership that will highlight a link between the app’s high engagement and positive lifestyle outcomes.”
Professor Mariachiara Di Cesare, Director of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, echoed Rubin’s enthusiasm, stating, “This is a very exciting opportunity for our team to show how the expertise within our Institute and wider Essex community, can make a real difference to people’s lives as well as help a growing business achieve its strategic aims.”
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