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

Human monocytic ehrlichiosis;Health Belief Model;Ticks;Awareness;Tick-borne diseases;GIS

James Edward Nunn, 1985-

University:University of Louisville

Department:Geography and Geosciences

关键词: Human monocytic ehrlichiosis;    Health Belief Model;    Ticks;    Awareness;    Tick-borne diseases;    GIS;   

Others  :  https://ir.library.louisville.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2073&context=etd

美国|英语

来源: The Universite of Louisville's Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), a tick-borne disease that has recently surfaced inthe United States, exists in regions where the tick vector population is established. Thisstudy utilizes methods that look beyond identifying high-risk regions, and investigatesdisparate awareness, self-perceived threat, and seriousness of HME to further enhanceexisting spatial modeling. The Health Belief Model provides a theoretical frameworkthat encompasses the disease ecology aspect of medical geography to understand therelationship between people and their environment by surveying participants in studyregions of Missouri. Results are suggestive that awareness differs between high/lowincidence regions. Furthermore, education and income were found to be significant tooverall awareness. The frequency of finding ticks, age, and overall concern andawareness were important factors in the decision to use preventative strategies againstticks. These results can be used to focus efforts by state health departments to increaseawareness of this important disease.