Skip to main content
Collection

Behavioural and social sciences: public health

An overview of how the behavioural and social sciences are used to improve public health in England.

Updates to this page

From:
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
Published:
25 October 2018
Last updated:
28 September 2021
Show all updates

  1. Added 'Behaviour change: helping health professionals deliver brief interventions' and 'Commissioning behavioural science support for public health'.

  2. Added Reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

  3. Added Behaviour change interventions to optimise antibiotic prescribing.

  4. Added 'Behaviour change: guide for local government and partners' document.

  5. Added Behaviours related to catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

  6. Added Behaviour change techniques review: descriptive studies.

  7. Added link to NHS Health Check Digital Review.

  8. Added 'Family weight management: changing behaviour techniques.'

  9. Added 'Adult weight management: changing behaviour techniques'.

  10. First published.

The Behavioural and Social Sciences Team (BeSST) is a multidisciplinary team of behavioural and social scientists. BeSST works across the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) to support national and regional teams, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders on the application of behavioural science methods and evidence to the development and delivery of public health policy.

Work by BeSST focuses on:

  • applying behavioural and social science methods, frameworks, theory and evidence to develop strategy, policy and practice
  • conducting consultations, research and evaluation projects
  • building the behavioural and social science capability of the public health system

BeSST  work is documented in case studies on NHS Health Check trials and weighted financial remuneration and on healthy food environments in secondary schools.

BeSST originally worked as Public Health England Behavioural Insights (PHEBI).

Strategy

Behavioural trials and evaluation projects

Literature reviews and behavioural analyses

NHS Health Check digital review was a collaboration between BeSST (while working as PHE Behavioural Insights) and PHE’s national digital and CVD prevention teams to explore how digital technology could be used to support the NHS Health Check programme.

Advisory documents

Contents