Precautions Taken Against Lyme Disease at Three Recreational Parks in Endemic Areas of New Jersey

Abstract

Visitors to three recreational parks located in Lyme disease endemic counties in New Jersey were surveyed to assess public awareness of recommended precautions against tick bites and how these precautions are being adopted. Interviews were conducted with 178 adult respondents. In open-ended questions, 84% of the respondents could name at least one precaution against Lyme disease; however, only 43% reported taking any precautions. Taking precaution was associateded with the belief that a person they knew with Lyme disease was bitten by a tick while in a place frequented by the respondent, and with the belief that Lyme disease is difficult to cure. Precaution adoption was not associated with gender or with measures of personal experience with Lyme disease, perceived seriousness of the disease, attitudes about and personal experiences with ticks, beliefs that there are infected ticks in the park, or the perceived costs and benefits of taking precautions. These results emphasize the importance of getting people to practice the precautions they already know about, and helping people to recognize situations where taking precautions is appropriate.