Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The . gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in . gov or . mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. VSports app下载.

Https

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. V体育官网.

. 2025 Aug 19;25(1):2845.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-24042-y.

"VSports在线直播" 'You adapt, and you try not to resent it': a qualitative study exploring impacts of living with ticks and barriers to adopting preventive measures in Canada

Natasha Bowser  1   2 , Catherine Bouchard  3   4 , Madison Robertson  5   6 , Valerie Hongoh  3   4 , Lucie Richard  7   8 , Patrick Leighton  3   7 , Hélène Carabin  3   9 , Cécile Aenishaenslin  3   7
Affiliations

'You adapt, and you try not to resent it': a qualitative study exploring impacts of living with ticks and barriers to adopting preventive measures in Canada

Natasha Bowser et al. BMC Public Health. .

"VSports最新版本" Abstract

Background: Lyme disease (LD) is Canada's most common tick-borne disease (TBD), with other tick-borne pathogens being detected with increasing frequency. Tick bite prevention remains the most effective preventive measure against TBDs, yet individual preventive behaviours are not always adopted by at-risk individuals VSports手机版. This is concerning, given that the incidence of TBDs is predicted to increase with climate change. The objectives were: (1) to understand the facilitators and barriers to adopting tick bite preventive behaviours for at-risk individuals, and (2) to explore whether adverse behaviours are developing among individuals living in LD endemic regions. .

Methods: Residents of LD endemic regions were invited through social media platforms (including governmental and health authority) to participate in virtual focus groups V体育安卓版. In total, 96 individuals participated in 22 focus groups across five provinces of Canada (BC, MB, ON, QC and NS) between October 2021 and January 2022. Thematic analysis was performed using an inductive-deductive iterative approach, and themes were organized using the COM-B model of behaviour. .

Results: Participants identified several facilitators to adopting preventive behaviours, including habit formation and community awareness and influence. Reported barriers included inadequate, untimely, or changing knowledge, concerns about consequences, and lack of access to healthcare. A spectrum of adaptation across Canada was observed, ranging from low (BC) to high (MB and NS). For many individuals, living in a LD endemic region negatively impacted mental health, outdoor recreation, interaction with nature and/or views on pet ownership V体育ios版. .

Conclusions: Adaptations to TBDs are not always easy, consistent, or positive. This study is the first to describe the barriers to adopting preventive behaviours and impacts of living with ticks across multiple Canadian provinces. The themes and impacts identified in this study should provide insight for a variety of initiatives to be developed, implemented, and evaluated to improve quality of life and health outcomes related to TBDs in Canada. VSports最新版本.

Keywords: Adaptation; Health barriers; Health behaviour; Impacts; One health; Preventive behaviours V体育平台登录. .

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Committee for Ethics in Research in Science and Health (Comité d’éthique de la recherche en sciences et en santé, CERSES) at the University of Montreal (Ref # 2020 − 900) VSports注册入口. All participants of the study gave consent via an online form before participating in the focus groups. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Barriers and facilitators to adopting tick bite preventive behaviours, identified from an analysis of 22 focus groups with 96 high-risk individuals living in regions endemic for Lyme disease in five provinces of Canada. [Legend:] Generalised themes are in bold. B, barrier; F, facilitator
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Key impacts of living in a region endemic for ticks and tick-borne diseases, as reported by 96 participants living in Lyme disease endemic regions across five provinces of Canada
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mead PS. Epidemiology of Lyme disease. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(2):187–210. - PubMed
    1. Schwartz AM, Hinckley AF, Mead PS, Hook SA, Kugeler KJ. Surveillance for Lyme disease - United States, 2008–2015. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2017;66(22):1–12. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ogden NH, Lindsay LR, Morshed M, Sockett PN, Artsob H. The emergence of Lyme disease in Canada. Can Med Assoc J. 2009;180(12):1221–4. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Public Health Agency of Canada. Lyme disease: Surveillance of human cases. 2023. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/lyme-disease/su.... Cited 2023 Aug 7
    1. Ogden NH, Bouchard C, Badcock J, Drebot MA, Elias SP, Hatchette TF, et al. What is the real number of Lyme disease cases in canada?? BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1): 849. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources