Content analysis of behaviour change techniques in government physical distancing communications for the reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland

Hannah Durand · Jenny McSharry · Oonagh Meade · Molly Byrne · Eanna Kenny · Kim Louise Lavoie +1 more

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Behavioral Health and Interventions Media Influence and Health Communication and COVID-19 Impact

Abstract

Background: Effective government communications and leadership are central to the management of pandemics. Behavioural science can offer important insight into the development of such communications strategies. The extent to which established behaviour-change science is reflected in current government messaging campaigns to promote adherence to physical distancing measures in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unclear. The current study aimed to describe the behaviour-change content of a set of government-issued poster communications for the reopening of schools in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020. Methods: Posters targeting physical distancing behaviours in school settings were retrieved from the Government of Ireland website for analysis. Posters were independently coded for behaviour change techniques (BCTs) using the BCT Taxonomy Version 1, a hierarchically clustered taxonomy of 93 distinct BCTs across 16 groups. The Theories and Techniques tool was used to identify mechanisms of action (MoAs) linked to each of the identified BCTs. Eight posters were independently content-analysed by two members of the research team for BCTs and linked MoAs. Results: Eight unique BCTs from six unique groups were identified in at least one poster. These BCTs were linked with 11 unique MoAs through which behaviour change is theorised to occur. Several theoretically important groups of BCTs, such as Natural Consequences, Social Support, Shaping Knowledge, and Comparison of Behaviour, were underutilised or not included in any of the posters. Conclusion: Future poster communications could benefit from including additional BCTs from key groups, particularly Natural Consequences. This article provides proof-of-concept evidence for future evaluations of government public health communications for behaviour-change content using existing taxonomies and tools.

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2013The Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93 Hierarchically Clustered Techniques: Building an International Consensus for the Reporting of Behavior Change Interventions 2018Behavior Change Techniques and Their Mechanisms of Action: A Synthesis of Links Described in Published Intervention Literature 2021Toward effective government communication strategies in the era of COVID-19 2013The Role of Public Trust During Pandemics 2020Development of an online tool for linking behavior change techniques and mechanisms of action based on triangulation of findings from literature synthesis and expert consensus 2020Together Apart: The Psychology of COVID-19 2018Links Between Behavior Change Techniques and Mechanisms of Action: An Expert Consensus Study 2020Harnessing behavioural science in public health campaigns to maintain ‘social distancing’ in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: key principles

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