The Interreg project euPrevent Social Norms Approach (SNA) started this month. The project addresses unhealthy behaviour that is socially accepted among certain societal groups, such as excessive drinking among students. The project will design surveys and information campaigns to help people change habits.
Hans Teunissen, Regional Minister of the Dutch Province of Limburg, opened euPrevent SNA this week. He expects that the project will improve public health policies: ‘EuPrevent SNA will provide valuable insights into how we can enable youngsters and the elderly to make healthy choices’. Limburg is one of the partners in euPrevent SNA, together with other public authorities, public health organisations, and research institutes from across the Euregio Meuse-Rhine.
EuPrevent SNA addresses behaviour that is unhealthy but nevertheless socially accepted. A good example is excessive drinking among certain groups of students. University freshmen record a 25% higher chance of getting drunk at a party. In other words, drinking culture becomes the ‘social norm’ among first-year students. Also older people – above 55 – tend to approve of high alcohol consumption levels: 60% of this group drinks alcohol on a daily basis.
The Social Norms Approach (SNA) is a method that counters such ‘normal behaviour’. Often, this behaviour is based on ignorance or false assumptions, like ‘drinking beer is part of watching football’ or ‘a daily glass of wine is healthy’. Through campaigns and awareness-raising, the Social Norms Approach invites people to reflect critically on the reasons for their behaviour. In earlier projects, the method has proven to be an effective tool to encourage behavioural change.
euPrevent SNA will specifically focus on students and elderly people in the Euregio. Ultimately, the project hopes to lower alcohol consumption. At the kick-off event, Dutch State Secretary for Health Paul Blokhuis endorsed the Interreg project in a video message, and said ‘he is already looking forward to the results’.
More information: www.euprevent.eu
euPrevent SNA, a consortium of 11 partners, is led by Mondriaan. The project receives support from Interreg Euregio Meuse Rhine programme, with EUR 1,3 mn coming from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project will last for three years.
