The relationship between practical lifestyles and cost escalation over members’ contribution to health insurance in Tanzania: The mediation of non-communicable diseases

This study aimed to examine the correlation between health-risk behaviour patterns, health lifestyle practices, and self-monitoring and care, in connection to the increasing costs of health insurance premiums. The research utilised a cross-sectional design and applied Linear Regression via SPSS software to analyse data collected from 385 public servants and college students in Mwanza, constituting 68.84% of the NHIF membership share. The analysis reveals that hazardous behaviours, including Alcohol Consumption (AC), Tobacco Use (TU), and Exposure to Harmful Chemicals (ETHC), are directly correlated with an increase in insurance costs. Nonetheless, the use of painkillers is unwarrantedly associated with the development of non-communicable diseases. Healthy lifestyle practices, including the consumption of processed foods (PFC), adherence to a balanced diet (UBD), and participation in physical activity (PA), are positively correlated with the likelihood of acquiring non-communicable diseases (NCD). In the near term, patients undergoing regular medical checks (MCP) exhibited elevated medical expenses. Ultimately, they decreased long-term medical costs by mitigating the likelihood of an individual developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The study emphasises policy recommendations aimed at reducing the likelihood of non-communicable disease (NCD) development and enhancing the financial stability of health insurance schemes in Tanzania. These include the creation of media and electronic campaigns to inform both members and non-members about effective strategies to prevent NCDs, the establishment of incentive packages to encourage members to cease or abandon risky behaviours, the provision of discounted premium pricing, the offering of mental health counselling and therapy programs, and the development or acquisition of health-related applications to modify member behaviour.