Mosquito-borne infectious disease, risk-perceptions, and personal protective behavior among U.S. international...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Vector-borne diseases, particularly mosquito-borne infectious diseases (MBIDs), represent a substantial global health burden.
• Existing prevention strategies like vaccines and vector control are often insufficient for MBIDs.
• Personal protective behaviors (PPBs) are crucial for preventing MBIDs, especially for travelers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how awareness, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity of five major MBIDs influence the adoption of PPBs among US travelers.
• To identify which MBIDs and psychological factors are most strongly associated with PPB adoption.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 1043 adult US residents who had traveled internationally in the past year.
• Data collection focused on awareness and perceptions of risk for Malaria, Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, and West Nile virus.
• Statistical analysis examined the association between these perceptions and the reported adoption of three key PPBs.

Main Results:

• Awareness of Zika virus was significantly linked to the adoption of all three studied PPBs.
• High perceived severity for all five MBIDs correlated with increased use of protective clothing and mosquito repellent.
• US travelers expressed greater concern for Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue compared to Malaria and West Nile.

Conclusions:

• Public health campaigns should leverage awareness of specific diseases like Zika and emphasize perceived severity to promote PPBs.
• Targeted interventions focusing on traveler concerns can enhance the adoption of effective personal protection strategies against MBIDs.
• Understanding traveler perceptions is key to designing effective behavior modification strategies for MBID prevention.