Perceived vulnerability for Lyme disease questionnaire: A social science tool for understanding tick-borne disease attitudes

• Published in: Ticks and tick-borne diseases 2023-03, Vol.14 (2), p.102120-102120, Article 102120
• Main Authors: Olechnowicz, Casey, Leahy, Jessica, Gardner, Allison, Sponarski, Carly C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Attitude; Humans; Ixodes; Lyme disease; Lyme Disease - epidemiology; Perceptions; Risk; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tick-Borne Diseases - epidemiology; Vulnerability
• ISSN: 1877-959X; 1877-9603
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102120

•Perceived vulnerability scale is novel in case of Lyme and vector-borne diseases.•Perceived vulnerability is encompassed by susceptibility and emotional discomfort.•Perceptions of susceptibility correlate with self-efficacy and motivation.•Emotional discomfort towards ticks has strong relationship with preventative behaviors. Lyme disease has emerged as a growing epidemic across the U.S., with tick populations spreading north because of a plethora of human-induced factors. As the scope of this problem grows, there is a need to understand how vulnerable the public perceives themselves to be and how perceived vulnerability as a psychological construct influences public behavior. A growing body of literature has explored individual risk perceptions and individual preventative behaviors toward Lyme disease, but there remains a notable research gap regarding the concept of vulnerability. This empirical study establishes the first questionnaire for perceived vulnerability towards Lyme disease, modified from pre-existing infectious disease literature. This novel instrument was tested and compared with individual factors relating to preventative behaviors and source credibility of major information sources about Lyme disease in the state of Maine. Recent increases in black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) populations have affected the state of Maine in dramatic ways. This research specifically surveyed homeowners to explore their perceived vulnerability, source credibility, and individual protective intentions related to ticks and Lyme disease in Maine. Results from this study validate a modified perceived vulnerability scale for Lyme disease and highlight how understanding the relationships between these perceptions of vulnerability, individual behaviors, and sources of information can improve outreach and communication efforts about tick-borne diseases.