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Behavioural science and the COVID-19 response
Behavioural science has been key to the COVID-19 response and enhancing preparedness for future pandemics.
Throughout the pandemic, behavioural science research has helped:
- identify issues
- test solutions
- guide actions to improve equity
- document learnings to improve pandemic preparedness in the future.
Who is involved
The Intelligence, Surveillance and Knowledge Group and its predecessors, including the Evaluation and Behavioural Science Team, have collaborated with teams across the Ministry of Health and partner agencies on behavioural science research to inform the COVID-19 response.
Research aims
The research aims to monitor and understand:
- how personal beliefs, social context and individual capability impact how people adhere to preventative and protective behaviours
- what barriers hinder people from taking actions such as taking a COVID-19 test, self-isolation, vaccination and wearing a mask.
Behavioural insights for COVID-19 public health measures in the Aotearoa New Zealand population
Behavioural insights surveys support public health services and policymakers assess what public health measures could be effective and proportionate in protecting New Zealanders from harm during a future pandemic. It examines changes in attitude and behaviours to public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Health commissioned research agency Verian to carry out 4 reports on this subject. These include 2 reports examining the drivers behind people’s public health actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2 reports based on behavioural surveys.
The project has two parts which ran concurrently.
Part One: two repeated behavioural surveys (wave one and two) to monitor adherence to public health measures over time, in terms of intention and actual behaviour
- Measuring public health behaviours and intentions
This report focused on understanding people’s recent and intended public health behaviours and how these have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is informed by 1,642 surveys conducted via online research panels, plus 197 telephone surveys done between October and November 2023. The sample included Māori, Pacific people, Asian, Pākehā, disabled people and older people. Participants came from different parts of New Zealand, urban and rural, and a range of occupations and living situations. - Measuring public health behaviours and intentions – wave two
This report is the second report based on repeat surveys. To inform it, 1,642 people were surveyed online and 200 people were surveyed over the phone, between 20 May 2024 and 9 June 2024. Māori and Pacific peoples were over-sampled to ensure sufficient sample sizes for analysis. Interviewees came from different parts of New Zealand, urban and rural, and a range of occupations and living situations.
Part Two: a mixed method project to explore drivers of COVID-19 related public health behaviours, and to quantify their impact on public health behaviours
- Life since the pandemic: How the COVID-19 pandemic experience has shaped public attitudes and beliefs on public health, infectious disease and vaccination
This report is focused on the drivers behind people’s public health actions and attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they have changed over time. It is informed by 30 in-depth interviews between September and December 2023. People interviewed include Māori, Pacific people, Asian, Pākehā, disabled people and older people. Interviewees came from different parts of New Zealand, urban and rural, and a range of occupations and living situations. - COVID-19’s role in shaping reactions to public health advice and New Zealanders’ preferences for handling a new pandemic
This report is the second of the qualitative analysis. It was informed by 1,655 people surveyed online and 200 people surveyed over the phone, conducted between 17 April and 9 May 2024. Māori and Pacific peoples were over-sampled to ensure sufficient sample sizes for analysis. Interviewees came from different parts of New Zealand, urban and rural, and a range of occupations and living situations.
National and population survey reports
National and population surveys help us better understand the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to, and at, various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Survey methodology
The Ministry of Health commissioned Horizon Research to run the online surveys. Questions were asked only in English, and they were tested by independent reviewers for clarity and simplicity. This was to minimise misunderstanding of the questions and improve reliability of the results. Each survey aimed to gather at least 1,000 respondents.
For some surveys, the sample was also boosted for Māori and Pacific peoples. In addition to the use of demographic quotas, during the analysis the results were adjusted, or weighted, to closely match the New Zealand population characteristics. This was to achieve greater representativeness of the results.
All survey methodologies have some limitations. For more information, each report has a section describing the methods used to collect and analyse the data.
Survey reports
Project reports
Improving maritime border workers’ adherence to the Required Testing Order (RTO)
Report date: November 2021
The RTO was an important control measure for the COVID-19 response to minimise the risk of onward transmission into the community. This research was conducted to understand the barriers that individuals faced when trying to adhere to the RTO, and the findings were used to inform advice on how to increase uptake of testing in these communities.
Increasing adherence to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidelines in Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facilities (MIQFs)
Report date: April 2022
Understanding the barriers to adherence to IPC guidelines was important to avoid COVID-19 transmission in MIQF facilities. This project looked to assess knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviours of infection, prevention and control measures for community members and returnees in the MIQF system.
