The Ecology of Protective Behaviors: A Study in New Risk Areas for Mosquito-Borne Diseases

During the last decade, tiger mosquitoes have rapidly colonized a large number of European countries, increasing the risk of infection with mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs), and constituting an emerging health threat in the region. The objectives of the present study were to prospectively investigate changes in Self-protective Behaviors, beliefs and attitudes regarding MBDs in Mediterranean France, and to assess the influence of social and cognitive time-varying covariates on behaviors. Data were collected using the same computer-assisted telephone survey in 2012, 2013 and 2014 among respondents residing in French Mediterranean regions. Weighted estimates in multivariate analysis were computed using the generalized estimating equation technique, with Self-protective Behaviors as a repeated outcome. Perceived exposure to tiger mosquitoes and knowledge about MBDs increased significantly between 2012 and 2014. Most respondents suffered from mosquito bites over the same period, but only 4 in 10 adopted Self-protective Behaviors. These behaviors were mostly related to the frequency of mosquito bites, perceived exposure to tiger mosquitoes, and to higher perceived vulnerability to MBDs. In conclusion, French Mediterranean residents are increasingly knowledgeable about MBDs and the proximity of tiger mosquitoes. However, self-protection was predominantly related to the frequency of mosquito bites and higher perceived vulnerability. These results suggest that Self-protective Behaviors are being shaped more in new risk areas by environmental cues to which people are exposed than by other common personal determinants of health behaviors.