Matteo Riccò1,2, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi3, Luigi Vezzosi4, Federica Balzarini5, Maria Eugenia Colucci6, Licia Veronesi6. 1. Department of Public Health, AUSL- IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Service for Health and Safety in the Workplace, Reggio Emilia (RE), Italy. 2. Autonomous Province of Trento Department of Prevention, Provincial Agency for Health Services (APSS), Operative Unit for Health and Safety in the Workplaces, Trento, Italy. 3. Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. 4. Azienda Sanitaria dell'Alto Adige -Comprensorio di Brunico, Servizio di Igiene e Sanità Pubblica, Brunico, BZ. 5. San Raffaele Hospital, University "Vita e Salute", Milan, Italy. 6. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Abstract
Objectives: Tick-borne diseases (T-BD) represent a potential health threat for outdoor workers in endemic areas, such as the Autonomous Province of Trento (APT). We conducted a questionnaire-based survey to assess T-BD knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices among APT farmers, specifically focusing on the use of protective habits and the uptake of the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccine. Methods: A convenience sample of 106 farmers (all males, mean age 47.3 ± 13.6 years) attending pesticide training courses (12/2016-03/2017) completed the anonymous survey. Binary regression analysis, calculations of multivariate odds ratios (mOR) and 95% confidence intervals were used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and risk perceptions as predictors of preventive measures. Results: Though general understanding of T-BD was fairly low, the majority of the participants perceived TBE infection as a frequent (73.6%) and severe disease (61.3%). Overall, 43.3% of participants knew a TBE vaccine was available, and 24.5% had been vaccinated. Protective habits were reported by 53.8% of respondents, with self-checks for tick bites particularly low at 2.8% of participants. Better knowledge of T-BD and favorable attitudes toward vaccinations were associated with TBE immunization (mOR 4.708; 95%CI 1.273-17.409 and mOR 3.555; 95%CI 1.175-10.760, respectively), while previous history of tick bite and any interaction with T-BD significantly predicted adherence to protective measures (mOR 4.458; 95%CI 1.808-10.991, and mOR 9.433; 95%CI 1.127-78.973, respectively).Conclusions: Adherence to preventive measures (TBE vaccine) and protective habits was unsatisfactory in our sampled group, being a possible consequence of significant knowledge gaps. Public health communication on T-BD in farmers should, therefore, target understanding of health issues and appropriate preventive measures.
Objectives:Tick-borne diseases (T-BD) represent a potential health threat for outdoor workers in endemic areas, such as the Autonomous Province of Trento (APT). We conducted a questionnaire-based survey to assess T-BD knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices among APT farmers, specifically focusing on the use of protective habits and the uptake of the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccine. Methods: A convenience sample of 106 farmers (all males, mean age 47.3 ± 13.6 years) attending pesticide training courses (12/2016-03/2017) completed the anonymous survey. Binary regression analysis, calculations of multivariate odds ratios (mOR) and 95% confidence intervals were used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and risk perceptions as predictors of preventive measures. Results: Though general understanding of T-BD was fairly low, the majority of the participants perceived TBE infection as a frequent (73.6%) and severe disease (61.3%). Overall, 43.3% of participants knew a TBE vaccine was available, and 24.5% had been vaccinated. Protective habits were reported by 53.8% of respondents, with self-checks for tick bites particularly low at 2.8% of participants. Better knowledge of T-BD and favorable attitudes toward vaccinations were associated with TBE immunization (mOR 4.708; 95%CI 1.273-17.409 and mOR 3.555; 95%CI 1.175-10.760, respectively), while previous history of tick bite and any interaction with T-BD significantly predicted adherence to protective measures (mOR 4.458; 95%CI 1.808-10.991, and mOR 9.433; 95%CI 1.127-78.973, respectively).Conclusions: Adherence to preventive measures (TBE vaccine) and protective habits was unsatisfactory in our sampled group, being a possible consequence of significant knowledge gaps. Public health communication on T-BD in farmers should, therefore, target understanding of health issues and appropriate preventive measures.
Authors: Matteo Riccò; Luigi Vezzosi; Federica Balzarini; Giovanni Gualerzi; Silvia Ranzieri; Carlo Signorelli; Maria Eugenia Colucci; Nicola Luigi Bragazzi Journal: Acta Biomed Date: 2020-09-07