Understanding and Intervening in Children's Tick Risk Perceptions and Protective Behaviors: A Grounded Theory

Children, ages 8 years and younger, are at a particularly high risk of contracting a tick-borne disease. This is partially due to the misconceptions spread about tick protective behavior and a poor understanding of how antibiotic treatment can help. Because most communities and families believe that tick control is the individual’s responsibility, looking at the interaction between ticks and human children is essential to understanding the individual’s motivations to protect themselves. To help alleviate the number of individuals contracting tick-borne diseases, misconceptions must be addressed, intervention programs implemented, and a behavioral change must occur. This study used a qualitative research design through interviews within a constructivist grounded theory, a qualitative approach. Purposeful and snowball sampling were used to conduct interviews with children ranging from 8 to 10 years of age, who have had a tick interaction, live in a Midwestern state, and who spend at least six hours outside on average a week. It was found that the use of tick protective behaviors is determined by the participants mentality (negative, neutral, or positive), the source of tick information (parents, teachers, or counselors), the tick content, tick interactions, and the frequency of the tick interactions. Based on the findings, the research is meant to be a tool for caregivers and Extension educators to empower children to believe in their own self-efficacy to perform tick protective behaviors, such as tick checks, wearing repellent, wearing proper clothing, proper removal, and knowing when and who to ask for help. Advisor: Louise Lynch-O’Brien