A School-Based Intervention to Reduce Lyme Disease

Our overall purpose of this study is evaluate whether a short in-class Lyme Disease education program based on social learning theory and the Health Belief Model can impact a child's knowledge, attitude, and preventive behavior. 1. Deliver an educational program in schools to promote personal protective practices, encourage early disease detection and modify residential habitats to reduce tick density. 3. Evaluate the program's efficacy by comparing the acceptability and practice of precautionary behavior, tick density in residential areas and rates of Lyme disease between groups using primary and surveillance data sources Evaluate the contribution of knowledge, attitudes, and parental involvement to children's adoption of prevention strategies. Hypothesis The community intervention will reduce the incidence of Lyme disease among children and families living in endemic areas by increasing the practice of precautionary behavior and reducing tick density in residential areas. Specifically, we hypothesize that: 1. The educational intervention will reduce the incidence of Lyme disease among children and families living in an endemic area. 2. The educational intervention will improve the childrens' self-confidence (behavioral self-efficacy), intention to perform, and actual practice of Lyme disease prevention behaviors.