Abstract During the spring 2024 semester, students at Grove City College, a private liberal arts college in rural northwestern Pennsylvania, were surveyed via an Internet-based questionnaire to assess their knowledge, risk factors, and preventive practices related to Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases (TBDs). Of 2,302 students contacted, 343 (14.9%) completed the survey, which included demographics and general TBD knowledge items. Among the 33 respondents (9.8%, n = 338) who reported a tick bite, all were diagnosed with Lyme disease. Respondents overall demonstrated a satisfactory level of knowledge and preventive behavior. Strong areas included awareness that Lyme disease is present in Pennsylvania (88.1%), confidence in tick identification (78.7%), correct identification of tick images (64.9%), recognition of high-risk behavior (95.6%), knowledge of tick checks (87.1%), and removal methods (61.7%). Knowledge gaps included the required attachment duration for Lyme disease transmission (7.3%), symptom recognition (47.5%), awareness of free TBD tick testing for Pennsylvania residents (6.4%), and familiarity with Powassan virus (3.6%). These results offer a snapshot of TBD-related knowledge and practices among college students in a state with one of the greatest Lyme disease burdens in the US. Addressing knowledge gaps in college curricula could reduce TBD exposure risk and improve public health outcomes.
Campagnolo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.