16th European Public Health Conference 2023 ii181
Workshop structure:
This workshop will consist of two parts. In the first part, three
presentations will set the scene. The first presentation will
introduce the most recent advancements and future perspec-
tives in applying behavioural insights and sciences to public
health policy-making from the WHO perspective. The second
presentation will highlight how behaviour change principles
were used for the development and adoption of health policies
in Canada. The third presentation will deal with behavioural
insights for more effective communication between academics
and policy makers, including a practical guide to develop
effective and high-quality policy briefs. This will be followed by
a reflections from representatives of academia/advisory bodies
(Prof. Kim Lavoie, Co-Director, Montreal Behavioural
Medicine Centre, Canada and Canada’s COVID-19 Expert
Advisory Panel) and WHO/Europe (Dr. Katrine Bach-
Habersaat; Regional Advisor for Behavioural and Cultural
Insights). Further to the reflection on the current knowledge
base a structured interactive world-café methodology will be
used to explore attendees’ opinions regarding the challenges
and opportunities in public health policy-making to improve
people’s health and well-being.
Key messages:
 Viewing policy development and adoption through the lens
of behaviour change theory can help improve the
effectiveness of policies and increase their impact.
 By applying behaviour change principles, policymakers can
better understand the motivations, barriers, and enablers of
different stakeholders and tailor their policies accordingly.
Abstract citation ID: ckad160.463
Behavioural Sciences for Better Health: WHO
Resolution and Action Framework
Katrine Bach Habersaat
K Bach Habersaat1, E Altieri2
1
WHO/Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
2
Behavioural Insights Unit, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
Contact: habersaatk@who.int
Behavioural factors are important contributors to increasing
trends in communicable and non-communicable diseases and
their risk factors, injuries, and health emergency risks as well as
other health challenges that pose a significant challenge to
health systems and increase disease burden globally. The
World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the
adoption of a Resolution on Behavioural Sciences for Better
Health to the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly #WHA76,
held in Geneva, Switzerland on 21-30 May 2023.
Brief summary of the resolution:
The resolution recognizes that behavioural science is a
multidisciplinary scientific approach that deals with human
action, its psychological, social, and environmental drivers,
determinants and influencing factors. It acknowledges the
contribution of behavioural science in achieving improved
health outcomes and the value of high-quality data about
behaviours in guiding the health sector. It also recognizes that
no single discipline can provide a complete understanding of
how to support individuals to enact healthier behaviours to
achieve improved health outcomes. The resolution notes that
behavioural science can facilitate the understanding of how
behavioural influences and communications guide decision-
making. It highlights the contribution of behavioural science in
achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and in strength-
ening prevention of, preparedness, and response to public
health emergencies. It also recognizes the importance of
building capacity to systematically adopt evidence, including
evidence from behavioural science and implementation
studies. Finally, it urges member states to mainstream
behavioural science approaches in health policies and to
advocate for necessary structural considerations including
behavioural science teams, units or functions, and for the
allocation of sufficient funding and human resources.
Abstract citation ID: ckad160.464
Can applying behaviour change principles make
public health policies more impactful and
sustainable?
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Simon Bacon
S Bacon1,2
1
Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology, Concordia
University, Montreal, Canada
2
International Behavioural Trials Network, Montreal, Canada
Contact: simon.bacon@concordia.ca
Issue/problem:
The incorporation of evidence-based recommendations into
policy documents and health guidance often does not lead to
measurable changes in public health outcomes.
Description of the problem:
All the preventative measures of COVID-19 were behavioural
in nature, e.g., getting vaccinated, wearing masks, physically
and socially distancing, getting tested, etc. However, most
government policies did not consider behavioural science or
behaviour change frameworks when crafting them. This led to
a significant reduction in trust in governments and a resistance
to the evolving policies.
Results:
Through the international iCARE study (www.icarestu-
dy.com), we captured data throughout the pandemic on
people’s capabilities, opportunities, and motivation to engage
in COVID-19 prevention behaviours, as well as their actual
behaviours. This data has led to key insights into how policies
could have been crafted to actively engage individuals in the
varying measures that they needed to undertake to reduce the
impact of COVID-19.
Lessons learned:
The incorporation of behaviour change principles in the
development and implementation of policies has the potential
to engage more shareholders and drive behaviour change.
However, more evidence is needed to determine the optimal
way to do so, and to assess the effectiveness of these efforts in
improving public health outcomes. To achieve this, a rigorous
monitoring plan is necessary to evaluate the impact of policy
changes and health guidance on public health outcomes.
Abstract citation ID: ckad160.465
Writing for impact: How to create policy briefs that
influence policy-making
Iveta Nagyova
I Nagyova1,2, S Michie3
1
Department of Social & Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, PJ
Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia
2
EUPHA
3
Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, London, UK
Contact: iveta.nagyova@upjs.sk
Issue/problem:
Effective communication between academics and policy
makers can be challenging due to differences in language,
priorities, and deadlines. Policy makers are often pressed for
time and require concise and actionable information to inform
their decisions.
Description of the problem:
Policy briefs are a useful tool for bridging the gap between
research and policy making. However, not all policy briefs are
created equal, and some may not effectively communicate
research findings and recommendations to policy makers. To
be effective, policy briefs should incorporate behavioural
insights. This can help them to be understandable and
succinct, evidence-based, and feasible and actionable.
ii182 European Journal of Public Health, Volume 33 Supplement 2, 2023
Moreover, the type and content of a policy brief should be
informed by the needs of the stakeholders and the specific
stage of the policy cycle.
Results:
Policy briefs that adhere to these characteristics have a higher
likelihood of informing policy decisions and creating impact
for researchers. They can raise awareness of current research on
a policy issue and communicate evidence-based recommenda-
tions in a concise and accessible format.
7.K. Workshop: Best Practice Portals: what is
needed for health promotion interventions
Abstract citation ID: ckad160.466
Organised by: BZgA - Federal Centre for Health Education (Germany),
National Institute of Public Health (Slovenia), French National Public
Health Agency (France), RIVM (The Netherlands), EuroHealthNet
Chair persons: Caroline Costongs (EuroHealthNet)
Contact: yvette.shajanian-zarneh@bzga.de
Background:
Best practice portals include public health interventions and
aim to promote health and improve health outcomes, not only
to support professionals but also policymakers with evidence-
based information. These portals, which have been developed
for several years in North America and in some European
countries and whose added value is undisputed, are only useful
if the interventions they contain are also used by professionals
and policymakers. Therefor the portals must address the needs
of the professionals and policymakers. Germany, France, the
Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Slovenia are
working closely together in the Technical Working Group
(TWIG) at EuroHealthNet to assess and learn from joint and
independent approaches in development and management of
Best Practice Portals as well as implementation of good and
best practices. Several questions are the result of the debate
within this working group: Should interventions be developed
from science or rather from practice? Both starting points are
important, but what criteria should be taken into account
when developing, assessing and selecting interventions? And
whether and how these criteria should be weighted. In addition
to the evaluation criteria themselves, it is also important to
gain insight into how evaluators understand the criteria and
methodology, and wether they are properly used when
assessing interventions. Experience in the countries has
shown that the provision of interventions in a portal alone,
no matter how searchable and combinable, is not sufficient to
select the right intervention and successfully transfer and
implement it in another context. A range of other support is
needed, ideally provided through the Best Practice Portal itself.
This can be provided by the so-called ‘What Works’ but also
the support for the implementation and adaptation of the
good and best practices of the portal.
Objective:
The aim of the workshop is to share the approaches and
experiences with the Best Practice Portals and to discuss with
the workshop participants the possible next steps for the
further development of the portals themselves and the support
strategies.
Methods:
After the introduction, the workshop starts with four very
short presentations to illustrate the different elements that are
important for a Best Practice Portal.
Discussion with the open space method:
In each of the four corners of a room there will be a flipchart
with a moderator. Each participant is welcome to choose one
of the flipcharts and discuss with the other participants one of
the topics presented in the short presentations.
Lessons learned:
Policy making is a cyclical process and it is possible to
influence policy at all stages in its formation, implementation
or evaluation. Writing effective policy briefs requires careful
consideration of the target audience and their needs. In
addition, researchers should create a specific research plan,
including methods and procedures, for how to measure the
impact of their briefs.
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Conclusions:
Every moderator will present one main takeaway message
which reflects the discussion.
Key messages:
 Best practice portals include public health interventions
and aim to promote health and improve health outcomes.
 Several elements are important for the successful use of the
Best Practice Portals.
Abstract citation ID: ckad160.467
Criteria for best practice in health promotion
Yvette Shajanian Zarneh
Y Shajanian Zarneh1
1
International Relations, BZgA, Cologne, Germany
Contact: yvette.shajanian-zarneh@bzga.de
There are many interventions that take a health-promoting
approach. But are they really good and do their implementa-
tion lead to results that are also a sustainable improvement for
the target group in a setting? Can this improvement be
scientifically evaluated and even measured or is it based on a
well-intentioned perception only? The criteria for good
practice from Germany, which were developed in 2003 by
the Advisory Working Group of the nationwide Collaborative
Network for Equity in Health of BZgA, aim in particular for
professionals in community health promotion to reflect on
their work and to support them in further developing and
strengthening the quality of their health promotion services.
The (twelve) good practice criteria, in practical language and
in the form of twelve fact sheets, each contain a definition,
implementation stages of the criterion, their explanation
(illustrated with examples from practice) as well as further
literature. The good practice criteria include conception and
target group reference and take into account participation and
empowerment, but also sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
These criteria also serve as selection criteria for interventions to
be included in the German Good Practice Portal which has a
particular focus on tackling health inequalities. In a brief
presentation these criteria will be presented to the participants
of the workshop in order to subsequently discuss and exchange
approaches from other countries.
Abstract citation ID: ckad160.468
How important is evaluator’s alignment for the
reliability of assessment procedure for recognizing
the good practice?
Sandra Rados Krnel
S Rados Krnel1, T Lesnik1, M Vinko1
1
NIJZ, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Contact: Sandra.Rados-Krnel@nijz.si