Knowledge and preventive behaviors towards tick-borne diseases in Delaware

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Communication

Background:

• Delaware has a high incidence of Lyme disease, prompting public health interventions.
• The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) implements awareness and education programs to control tick-borne diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of DPH's tick-borne disease communication efforts.
• To assess public knowledge and prevention behaviors related to tick-borne diseases in Delaware.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey was administered to 1755 participants across Delaware in May 2017.
• The survey assessed general knowledge of tick-borne diseases and the performance of preventive behaviors.
• Data were analyzed to identify knowledge gaps and disparities in prevention behaviors.

Main Results:

• Overall public knowledge of tick-borne diseases was poor; only 38.4% recognized ticks as problematic.
• Awareness of Lyme disease as a significant issue was low, with only 12.7% strongly agreeing.
• While 51.6% recalled seeing public health advertisements, reported preventive behaviors varied significantly by demographics.

Conclusions:

• Current public health communication strategies for tick-borne diseases in Delaware are not achieving desired outcomes.
• The study highlights a critical need to reassess and refine communication channels for future educational campaigns.
• Findings provide baseline data to guide more effective public awareness initiatives on tick-borne diseases.