Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Regarding Lyme Disease Prevention Among Connecticut Residents, 1999–2004

Abstract

Lyme disease, caused by the tick-transmitted bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. We surveyed residents of three Connecticut health districts to evaluate the impact of intensive community-wide education programs on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to prevent Lyme disease. Overall, 84% of respondents reported that they knew a lot or some about Lyme disease, and 56% felt that they were very or somewhat likely to get Lyme disease in the coming year. During 2002-2004, the percentage of respondents who reported always performing tick checks increased by 7% and the percentage of respondents who reported always using repellents increased by 5%, whereas the percentage of respondents who reported avoiding wooded areas and tucking pants into socks decreased. Overall, 99% of respondents used personal protective behaviors to prevent Lyme disease. In comparison, 65% of respondents reported using environmental tick controls, and increased use of environmental tick controls was observed in only one health district. The majority of respondents were unwilling to spend more than $100 on tick control. These results provide guidance for the development of effective Lyme disease prevention programs by identifying measures most likely to be adopted by residents of Lyme disease endemic communities.

Intentions to receive a potentially available Lyme disease vaccine in an urban sample

“…These items were obtained from a previous article [Gould et al 2008]. Each corresponding behavior was accompanied by a choice of either 'never', 'sometimes' or 'always.'…”

The role of human awareness on the spatial patterns of the tick-borne disease human monocytic ehrlichiosis in Missouri.

“…An important reason for the observed disparities between predicted risk mapping and actual reported HME cases may be due to the differences in overall awareness of tick borne diseases by residents and their perception of these risks and the efficacy of precautionary measures (Gould et al 2008). …”

“…There is a gap in the literature on understanding the human and environment relationship and how people perceive their risk of contracting a tick-borne disease such as HME. Related studies that have been done to investigate this human-environment relationship have done so with mosquitoborne diseases (Butterworth et al 2010) and Lyme disease in the endemic region of that tick-borne disease (Gould et al 2008;Herrington 2004;Herrington et al 1997). There have been few or no studies done to investigate the relationship between people and their environment that consider the perceived risks of HME.…”

“…However, long incubation periods and limited knowledge of tick disease risks may render much of the population at risk (Gould 2008;Meade & Emch 2010;CDC 2012).…”

“…In 2008 likelihood of becoming infected with Lyme was (Gould et al 2008). This study is one of the few that have attempted to measure behavior and knowledge of tick-borne diseases, and it has made an important contribution to the development of other methodologies.…”