{
  "abstract": "Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK Government introduced interventions to reduce transmission. Understanding how these measures affected engagement in preventative behaviours is key for guiding future public health policy, yet the impact of their type and number remains under-researched.Methods We analysed data from 2,283,782 participants of the Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT) study, a repeated cross-sectional survey in England (May 2020–March 2022). Outcomes included staying inside, avoiding contact, and mask use. Predictors included intrusiveness (Nuffield intervention ladder), and the number and type of intervention functions (Behaviour Change Wheel). We used mixed-effects negative binomial models to aggregated local authority data and zero-inflated beta regressions to individual-level engagement, controlling for demographic and temporal confounders.Results The main findings from the aggregated analysis showed lower intrusiveness of policies increased avoiding contact and mask use, whereas high intrusiveness increased staying inside (IRR = 2.76, 95% CI: 2.64–2.88), avoiding contact (IRR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.14–1.20), and mask use (IRR =7.86, 95% CI: 7.740-8.35). Individual level results confirmed the direction of these effects. More intervention functions increased staying inside (IRR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.08–1.10) and mask use (IRR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.17–1.21), but reduced avoiding contact (IRR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.94–0.95). Only environmental restructuring (e.g. In-store distancing measures) increased avoiding contact (IRR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.27–1.37), whereas coercion (e.g. fines) and persuasive communication increased staying inside and mask use. Intervention function of restriction (i.e. restricting mobility) reduced engagement across all behaviours.Conclusion Highly intrusive measures (lockdowns) most increased staying inside, while mask wearing and avoiding contact responded to lower intrusiveness and targeted intervention functions such as environmental restructuring, persuasion, and coercion. These findings can guide policymakers in designing effective, feasible policies by matching intrusiveness to the behaviour targeted and choosing suitable intervention functions.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Samira Hiesl"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Sean Beevers"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Christina Atchison"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Dimitris Evangelopoulos"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Milica Vasiljevic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P08-3 Governmental measures and population-level behaviour change during COVID-19 in England: a repeated cross-sectional study of the english population",
  "uid": "25692ca5-35df-5581-84e2-a9de1f3274fe"
}