[Evaluation of national communication contents on COVID-19 prevention: use of a mixed method]

The challenges of communicating with the population during a health crisis are multiple, with the ultimate objective of getting as many people as possible to apply preventive measures.

The objective of this article is to present the results of an evaluation of the communication contents on COVID-19 prevention broadcast by Santé publique France (the national public health agency) on March 2020, for the general population. Two studies, one quantitative and one qualitative, were carried out during the first lockdown. The "Coronavirus Alert" communication campaign then included four media contents (spots and posters) describing health protective behaviors and signs of the disease.

Recall of the campaign was particularly high, with nine in ten spontaneously citing messages from the campaign. Over 90% found it easy to understand and useful, although 20% found it induced anxiety. The declared impact on behavior was also very high, with 97% of people affirming to be encouraged by the media contents to implement health protective behaviors. There was, however, lower adherence to the campaign among men and low-income people.The qualitative study clarified some of the results: the clarity of the materials was attributed to the pictograms illustrating the health protective behaviors, and the tone of the spots was judged appropriate to the seriousness of the health situation.

These studies highlight significant exposure to the supports tested and a positive perception of them. Their lessons were useful in continuing the dissemination of the health protection tools produced by Santé publique France.