Source Reduction Behavior as an Independent Measurement of the Impact of a Public Health Education Campaign in an Integrated Vector Management Program for the Asian Tiger Mosquito
Kristen Bartlett-Healya b✉, George C. Hamiltonb, Sean P. Healyc, Taryn N. Crepeauc, Işık Ünlüd, Ary Farajollahid, Dina M. Fonsecaa, Randy R. Gauglera, Gary G. Clarke, Daniel A. Strickmanf
- aCenter for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, 180 Jones Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- bDepartment of Entomology, Rutgers University, 96 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- cMonmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission, P.O. Box 162, Eatontown, NJ 07724, USA
- dMercer County Mosquito Control, 300 Scotch Road, West Trenton, NJ 08628, USA
- eCenter for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), 1600 SW 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- fOffice of National Programs, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a public health educational campaign to reduce backyard mosquito-larval habitats. Three communities each, within two New Jersey counties, were randomly selected to receive: (1) both education and mosquito control, (2) education only, and (3) no education or mosquito control. Four separate educational events included a 5-day elementary school curriculum in the spring, and three door to door distributions of educational brochures. Before and after each educational event, the numbers of mosquito-larval container habitats were counted in 50 randomly selected homes per study area. Container surveys allowed us to measure source reduction behavior. Although we saw reductions in container habitats in sites receiving education, they were not significantly different from the control. Our results suggest that traditional passive means of public education, which were often considered the gold standard for mosquito control programs, are not sufficient to motivate residents to reduce backyard mosquito-larval habitats.
TL;DRThe results suggest that traditional passive means of public education, which were often considered the gold standard for mosquito control programs, are not sufficient to motivate residents to reduce backyard mosquito-larval habitats. (Semantic Scholar)