Reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the UK: A behavioural science approach to identifying options for increasing adherence to social distancing and shielding vulnerable people

doi:10.1111/bjhp.12428

. 2020 Nov;25(4):945-956.

doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12428. Epub 2020 May 19.

Reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the UK: A behavioural science approach to identifying options for increasing adherence to social distancing and shielding vulnerable people

Susan Michie¹, Robert West², M Brooke Rogers³, Chris Bonell⁴, G James Rubin⁵, Richard Amlôt⁶

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, UK.
² Institute of Epidemiology and Health, University College London, UK.
³ Department of War Studies, King's College London, UK.
⁴ Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
⁵ Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, UK.
⁶ Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Salisbury, UK.

PMID: 32428385
PMCID: PMC7276722
DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12428

Reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the UK: A behavioural science approach to identifying options for increasing adherence to social distancing and shielding vulnerable people

Susan Michie et al. Br J Health Psychol. 2020 Nov.

. 2020 Nov;25(4):945-956.

doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12428. Epub 2020 May 19.

Authors

Susan Michie¹, Robert West², M Brooke Rogers³, Chris Bonell⁴, G James Rubin⁵, Richard Amlôt⁶

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, UK.
² Institute of Epidemiology and Health, University College London, UK.
³ Department of War Studies, King's College London, UK.
⁴ Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
⁵ Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, UK.
⁶ Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Salisbury, UK.

PMID: 32428385
PMCID: PMC7276722
DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12428

Abstract

Purpose: To describe and discuss a systematic method for producing a very rapid response (3 days) to a UK government policy question in the context of reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Methods: A group of behavioural and social scientists advising the UK government on COVID-19 contributed to the analysis and writing of advice through the Government Office for Science. The question was as follows: What are the options for increasing adherence to social distancing (staying at home except for essential journeys and work) and shielding vulnerable people (keeping them at home and away from others)? This was prior to social distancing legislation being implemented. The first two authors produced a draft, based on analysis of the current government guidance and the application of the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework to identify and evaluate the options.

Results: For promoting social distancing, 10 options were identified for improving adherence. They covered improvements in ways of achieving the BCW intervention types of education, persuasion, incentivization, and coercion. For promoting shielding of vulnerable people, four options were identified covering the BCW intervention types of incentivization, coercion, and enablement.

Conclusions: Responding to policymakers very rapidly as has been necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic can be facilitated by using a framework to structure the thinking and reporting of multidisciplinary academics and policymakers.

Keywords: Behaviour Change Wheel; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; policy; rapid response.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare no conflict of interest.

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References

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[1] Atchison, C. , Bowman, L. , Eaton, J. , Imai, N. , Redd, R. , Pristera, P. , … Ward, H. (2020). Report 10: Public Response to UK Government Recommendations on COVID‐19: Population Survey, 17–18 March 2020. Retrieved from https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial‐college/medicine/sph/ide/gida‐... 10.25561/77581 - DOI

[2] Atchison, C. , Bowman, L. , Eaton, J. , Imai, N. , Redd, R. , Pristera, P. , … Ward, H. (2020). Report 10: Public Response to UK Government Recommendations on COVID‐19: Population Survey, 17–18 March 2020. Retrieved from https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial‐college/medicine/sph/ide/gida‐... 10.25561/77581 - DOI

[3] Bauld, L. (2011). The impact of smokefree legislation in England: Evidence review. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact‐of‐smokefree‐legislati...

[4] Bauld, L. (2011). The impact of smokefree legislation in England: Evidence review. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact‐of‐smokefree‐legislati...

[5] Carter, H. , Drury, J. , Rubin, G. J. , Williams, R. , & Amlot, R. (2015). Applying crowd psychology to develop recommendations for the management of mass decontamination. Health Security, 13(1), 45–53. 10.1089/hs.2014.0061 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] Carter, H. , Drury, J. , Rubin, G. J. , Williams, R. , & Amlot, R. (2015). Applying crowd psychology to develop recommendations for the management of mass decontamination. Health Security, 13(1), 45–53. 10.1089/hs.2014.0061 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Dowd, J. B. , Andriano, L. , Brazel, D. M. , Rotondi, V. , Block, P. , Ding, X. , … Mills, M. C. (2020). Demographic science aids in understanding the spread and fatality rates of COVID‐19. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(18), 9696–9698. 10.1073/pnas.2004911117 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Dowd, J. B. , Andriano, L. , Brazel, D. M. , Rotondi, V. , Block, P. , Ding, X. , … Mills, M. C. (2020). Demographic science aids in understanding the spread and fatality rates of COVID‐19. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(18), 9696–9698. 10.1073/pnas.2004911117 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Everett, J. , Colombatto, C. , Chituc, C. , Brady, J. , & Crockett, M. (2020). The effectiveness of moral messages on public health behavioral intentions during the COVID‐19 pandemic. PsyArXiv, 10.31234/osf.io/9yqs8 - DOI

[10] Everett, J. , Colombatto, C. , Chituc, C. , Brady, J. , & Crockett, M. (2020). The effectiveness of moral messages on public health behavioral intentions during the COVID‐19 pandemic. PsyArXiv, 10.31234/osf.io/9yqs8 - DOI

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Reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the UK: A behavioural science approach to identifying options for increasing adherence to social distancing and shielding vulnerable people

Affiliations

Reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the UK: A behavioural science approach to identifying options for increasing adherence to social distancing and shielding vulnerable people

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