ABSTRACT
Mid-March, Moniek Buijzen was invited to consult the behavioral unit of the Dutch national health institute (RIVM) on communication and behavioral change among youth. To provide a strong foundation for policy recommendations, authors used an integrated theoretical framework of behavioral change and maintenance that was developed by RIVMs behavioral unit. Each time they are approached, by policymakers, communication professionals, or journalists, they start by sharing the tips. They have received many positive responses, also from adolescents and youth representatives, and parts of the list have been published in newspaper and magazine articles. It is crucial to involve them at all stages of campaign design. In the Netherlands, intrinsically motivated collaborations between COVID-19 experts and influencers seemed most successful. Use simple, clear, unambiguous messages and offer those multiple times via multiple channels. Provide specific strategies and solutions how to conduct the desired behaviors in various situations, for example, show scenarios of how to act when the social environment is not supportive.
