How fast is fast enough? Academic behavioural science impacting public health policy and practice

G. Hubbard; T. Allison; M. Beattie; J. Chandler; D. Dixon; J. Dryden; J. Evans; R. Fry; M. Johnston; M. Maier; E. McConnachie; E. Pettis; L. Stephenson; C. den Daas

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2023.09.009

How fast is fast enough? Academic behavioural science impacting public health policy and practice

G. Hubbard, T. Allison, M. Beattie, J. Chandler, D. Dixon, J. Dryden, J. Evans, R. Fry, M. Johnston, M. Maier, E. McConnachie, E. Pettis, L. Stephenson, C. den Daas^* (Corresponding Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of behavioural science for population health but also exposed the lack of established collaboration between academics and public health (PH) agencies and professionals. Across the world, academia and PH have their own ways of working; for example, academic research is generally slower than the time demands required of PH, and such differences may help explain the continued lack of established routes of collaboration between academia and PH. Using the environment in the United Kingdom (UK) as an exemplar, we highlight the disconnect between academic behavioural science and PH that was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the UK, PH agencies used internal government polling and rapid turn-around focus groups to inform policy and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Did academic behavioural science research also inform PH policy and practice? The answer, of course, is yes, but there is room for improvement if the aim is to have rapid real-time impact.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	e1-e2
Number of pages	2
Journal	Public Health
Volume	225
Early online date	3 Nov 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2023.09.009
Publication status	Published - Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by HSE as part of the PROTECT COVID-19 National Core Study on transmission and environment call (RG16155-10) and internal pump-priming funds of the University of Aberdeen (reference number: CF10770-19).

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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title = "How fast is fast enough? Academic behavioural science impacting public health policy and practice",

abstract = "The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of behavioural science for population health but also exposed the lack of established collaboration between academics and public health (PH) agencies and professionals. Across the world, academia and PH have their own ways of working; for example, academic research is generally slower than the time demands required of PH, and such differences may help explain the continued lack of established routes of collaboration between academia and PH. Using the environment in the United Kingdom (UK) as an exemplar, we highlight the disconnect between academic behavioural science and PH that was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the UK, PH agencies used internal government polling and rapid turn-around focus groups to inform policy and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Did academic behavioural science research also inform PH policy and practice? The answer, of course, is yes, but there is room for improvement if the aim is to have rapid real-time impact.",

author = "G. Hubbard and T. Allison and M. Beattie and J. Chandler and D. Dixon and J. Dryden and J. Evans and R. Fry and M. Johnston and M. Maier and E. McConnachie and E. Pettis and L. Stephenson and {den Daas}, C.",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by HSE as part of the PROTECT COVID-19 National Core Study on transmission and environment call (RG16155-10) and internal pump-priming funds of the University of Aberdeen (reference number: CF10770-19). ",

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AU - Hubbard, G.

AU - Allison, T.

AU - Beattie, M.

AU - Chandler, J.

AU - Dixon, D.

AU - Dryden, J.

AU - Evans, J.

AU - Fry, R.

AU - Johnston, M.

AU - Maier, M.

AU - McConnachie, E.

AU - Pettis, E.

AU - Stephenson, L.

AU - den Daas, C.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by HSE as part of the PROTECT COVID-19 National Core Study on transmission and environment call (RG16155-10) and internal pump-priming funds of the University of Aberdeen (reference number: CF10770-19).

PY - 2023/12

Y1 - 2023/12

N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of behavioural science for population health but also exposed the lack of established collaboration between academics and public health (PH) agencies and professionals. Across the world, academia and PH have their own ways of working; for example, academic research is generally slower than the time demands required of PH, and such differences may help explain the continued lack of established routes of collaboration between academia and PH. Using the environment in the United Kingdom (UK) as an exemplar, we highlight the disconnect between academic behavioural science and PH that was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the UK, PH agencies used internal government polling and rapid turn-around focus groups to inform policy and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Did academic behavioural science research also inform PH policy and practice? The answer, of course, is yes, but there is room for improvement if the aim is to have rapid real-time impact.

AB - The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of behavioural science for population health but also exposed the lack of established collaboration between academics and public health (PH) agencies and professionals. Across the world, academia and PH have their own ways of working; for example, academic research is generally slower than the time demands required of PH, and such differences may help explain the continued lack of established routes of collaboration between academia and PH. Using the environment in the United Kingdom (UK) as an exemplar, we highlight the disconnect between academic behavioural science and PH that was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the UK, PH agencies used internal government polling and rapid turn-around focus groups to inform policy and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Did academic behavioural science research also inform PH policy and practice? The answer, of course, is yes, but there is room for improvement if the aim is to have rapid real-time impact.

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DO - 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.09.009

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SN - 0033-3506

VL - 225

SP - e1-e2

JO - Public Health

JF - Public Health

ER -

How fast is fast enough? Academic behavioural science impacting public health policy and practice

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

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