Increasing Condom Use and STI Testing: Creating a Behaviourally Informed Sexual Healthcare Campaign Using the COM-B...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Health Communication

Background:

• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a significant public health challenge.
• The effectiveness of theoretically informed public health campaigns is often limited in commercial sector commissioning.
• Integrating academic and commercial expertise is crucial for impactful behavioral interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement the COM-B model in developing a sexual health campaign.
• To identify barriers and facilitators influencing condom use and STI testing.
• To collaboratively devise creative solutions for a public sexual health campaign.

Main Methods:

• Literature review to gather insights.
• COM-B model and Behaviour Change Wheel workshop with diverse experts.
• Feedback collection from healthcare professionals and surveys on campaign execution.

Main Results:

• Identified barriers related to psychological capability, motivation (automatic and reflective), and social opportunity.
• Collaboratively developed creative strategies to address identified barriers.
• The final campaign demonstrated positive ratings for influencing attitudes and intentions toward condom use and STI testing.

Conclusions:

• The COM-B model effectively guided the development of a collaborative sexual health campaign.
• The identified barriers and facilitators provide valuable targets for future public health communication strategies.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration enhances the development of effective public health interventions.