As we move towards the endemic phase of Covid-19, personal protective behaviours are becoming optional guidance, rather than mandated rules. In this new environment, understanding people’s behaviour and how they conceptualise the balance of personal and social rewards and risks, is an important priority for public health. We aim to help shape public health initiatives through two surveys, enriched with qualitative interviews, examining people’s attitudes and behaviour in Wales and Kentucky. Like Wales, Kentucky has a large declining coalfield region, which has faced significant public health challenges before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The project aims to identify the sociodemographic and attitudinal factors associated with how people are reacting to Covid’s transition to endemicity in the two countries.
The project will aim to deepen our collaboration with partners in Public Health Wales and in Kentucky, while also building towards a strong REF impact case study and further grant capture. Two related outcomes are (1) to understand what factors support collective population behaviours, such as those seen during Covid-19, and might also be required for future challenges such as the climate crisis or in responding to world conflict. And subsequently, (2) a more systematic understanding of how to communicate risk to different societal groups and hence how to promote healthy behaviours (including Covid-19 PPBs) across Wales.

Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £42,000