Public Health Communication: Consistency, Accuracy, and Community Engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Communication is central to the implementation and efficacy of public health measures. This paper explores public health messaging in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing its potential to encourage or undermine public trust and adherence. Methods This study analyzed data from two primary sources. The first is government press briefings, associated press releases, and public health directives from January 2020 to October 2021 in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Alberta. The second data source is 34 semi-structured key-informant interviews with public health actors across Canada. A directed qualitative content analysis approach was employed to analyze press briefing transcripts. Team-based coding and thematic analysis were conducted to analyze interview transcripts. Results Three main themes emerged from the data inconsistency, lack of clarity, and need for engaged communication practice. Ambiguous and inconsistent language practices across and within jurisdictions were common. Clear language that combines scientific evidence with an appeal to social and emotional factors was lacking, specifically in relation to nuanced matters. Communication practices revealed a disconnect between local communities and jurisdictional communicators who often lacked sensitivity and understanding of local concerns and values. Conclusion Effective communication must be consistent, clear, and community-driven. Increased federal leadership surrounding public health communication, further jurisdictional collaboration, improved communication training, established engagement infrastructure, and increased diversity of decision-makers and communicators are suggested to improve the effectiveness of communication practices by instilling public trust and thus adherence with public health measures.