Staying ‘Covid-safe’: Proposals for embedding behaviours that protect against Covid-19 transmission in the UK

Susan Michie*, Robert West, Nick Pidgeon, Stephen Reicher, Richard Amlôt, Laura Bear

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
76 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objectives: The Scientific Pandemic Insights group on Behaviours (SPI-B) as part of England’s Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE), were commissioned by the UK Cabinet Office to identify strategies to embed infection control behaviours to minimize Covid-19 transmission in the long term. 

Methods: With minimal direct evidence available, three sources of information were used to develop a set of proposals: (1) a scoping review of literature on sustaining behaviour change, (2) a review of key principles used in risk and safety management, and (3) prior reports and reviews on behaviour change from SPI-B. The information was collated and refined through discussion with SPI-B and SAGE colleagues to finalize the proposals. 

Results: Embedding infection control behaviours in the long-term will require changes to the financial, social, and physical infrastructure so that people in all sections of society have the capability, opportunity, and motivation needed to underpin those behaviours. This will involve building Covid-safe educational programmes, regulating to ensure minimum standards of safety in public spaces and workspaces, using communications and social marketing to develop a Covid-safe culture and identity, and providing resources so that all sections of society can build Covid-safe behaviours into their daily lives. 

Conclusions: Embedding ‘Covid-safe’ behaviours into people’s everyday routines will require a co-ordinated programme to shape the financial, physical, and social infrastructure in the United Kingdom. Education, regulation, communications, and social marketing, and provision of resources will be required to ensure that all sections of society have the capability, opportunity, and motivation to enact the behaviours long term.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1238-1257
Number of pages20
JournalBritish Journal of Health Psychology
Volume26
Issue number4
Early online date31 Aug 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Oct 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information: This paper was adapted from the report prepared for the UK’s Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies by its subgroup, the Scientific Pandemic Insights – Behaviour group (SPI‐B). RW and SM unpaid Director of Unlocking Behaviour Change Community Interest Company that provides resources, consultancy, and training relating to behaviour change. LB received grants from ESRC and from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, during the conduct of the study.

Open Access: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

Citation: Michie, S., West, R., Pidgeon, N., Reicher, S., Amlôt, R. and Bear, L. (2021), Staying ‘Covid-safe’: Proposals for embedding behaviours that protect against Covid-19 transmission in the UK. Br J Health Psychol, 26: 1238-1257.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12557

Keywords

  • Covid-19
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • behaviour change
  • long-term
  • maintaining
  • policy
  • sustaining

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