04 Feb 2010
Can public health communications change behaviour?
The COI (Central Office of Information) - who manage government communications - in their latest newsletter look at how they are trying to change public behaviour through their work.
They say:
Embedding a greater understanding of the importance and role of behavioural theory among those working in government communications is crucial. This knowledge should help inform campaign strategies, from development through to evaluation, thus ensuring that communications are as effective as possible.
They suggest a 5 step planning process:
- Identify the behaviour that your policy and/or communications activities are seeking to influence.
- Identify all the factors influencing the behaviours that relate to your policy and communications goals. These factors will vary among different audience groups, and various behavioural theories may be needed to understand them fully.
- Develop or adapt a practical model that brings together all the relevant behaviours and influencing factors.
- Build a marketing framework to show how all types of intervention – legislation, enforcement and stakeholder engagement as well as communications – can work together to deliver change.
- Create a communications model using the marketing framework to identify the role that communications can play. Often this role will be to influence factors or intermediate behaviours rather than to directly affect the end behaviour.
They also say:
If behaviour change on any issue is to be sustainable, it’s crucial that all those involved with its delivery are engaged at an early stage and are clear about their role. Often, local frontline workers, stakeholders and partners can achieve a greater and longer-lasting effect in behaviour change than paid-for media can on its own.
Those of you with good memories may recall a Kings Fund paper on information campaigns that we covered, and which makes similar points and which concluded:
People need more than knowledge to be healthy, they need the skills to change; information campaigns must be coupled with other services and interventions if they are to bring about large changes in often complex and habitual lifestyle behaviours.
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About this blog
This blog tries to pick up relevant media and research stories about drug education. It mainly focuses on information in England as this is the geographical remit for the Drug Education Forum. We welcome comments that are on topic.Categories
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