scholarly journals College Students’ Knowledge of Ticks in Oklahoma: Assessment and Insights

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 658
Author(s):  
Elise Knowlton ◽  
Justin L. Talley ◽  
Bruce H. Noden ◽  
William Wyatt Hoback

Ticks (Arachnida: Acari) are common in Oklahoma and may transmit tick-borne diseases (TBDs) to people. Due to the difficulty in reducing tick populations, awareness of tick bite prevention, proper tick removal, and knowledge of when to seek medical treatment are critical. However, outreach and extension programs are hampered by a lack of knowledge of what community members know about ticks. To address this limitation, we surveyed college students enrolled in three non-major Entomology courses at Oklahoma State University in 2018. Of the 483 students invited to take a survey, 224 (46.4%) students took both surveys. Pre-survey responses indicated lower levels of knowledge of tick biology compared to post-survey responses. For both pre- and post-survey respondents, “ticks can jump” and “ticks reside up in trees” received the fewest correct responses. A majority of survey respondents considered Lyme disease to be the predominant TBD in Oklahoma, although it is not established in Oklahoma. Supplemental education overcame these knowledge gaps, with the exception of knowledge of Lyme disease which was still considered to be the predominant TBD in the post-survey. Our results can be used to develop assessment tools to improve extension programs and enhance protection from TBDs.

Author(s):  
David Huntsman ◽  
Hao-Che Wu ◽  
Alex Greer

AbstractScholars have produced several theories and models to explain why individuals adjust to hazards. While findings from these studies are informative, studies have not considered how threat and coping appraisals may have differential effects on varying types of hazard adjustments, or how these findings may generalize to vulnerable populations. This study expands on the Protection Motivation Theory to explore the factors that shape hazard adjustment intentions among college students, a population traditionally defined as vulnerable, in response to tornado risk. An online survey was administered to college students (n=377) at Oklahoma State University, situated in a region that experiences considerable tornado risk. While the correlations between threat appraisal and tornado hazard adjustment intentions are smaller than the correlations between coping appraisal and tornado hazard adjustment intentions, findings suggest that threat appraisals become more important for influencing college students’ adjustment intentions when adjustment activities are complex (e.g., tornado shelter, home insurance), rather than basic (e.g., flashlight, first aid kid). This suggests that while both threat appraisals and coping appraisals are important for complex hazard adjustment intentions, basic hazard adjustment intentions are almost exclusively determined by coping appraisals. These findings have several practical implications for emergency management and provide new avenues for future hazard adjustment studies.


2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-326
Author(s):  
Kim B. Anderson

There is no success without errors. Three keys to success are to learn from your errors, to learn from successful people, and to have mentors or role models whose advice and counsel you may follow to minimize errors. It takes more than knowledge and skill to develop a successful Cooperative Extension program. Programs need to be research-based, part of a team effort, and may involve using research and extension programs conducted and developed by others.The best advice given to me on my first real job was, “The only way you’re not going to make mistakes is if you’re not doing your job” (Laubhan, 1972). Another quote from Henry Ford, “Theonly real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing,” added tomy philosophical base (Ford and Crowther, 1922). Without the wisdom conveyedby Laubhan and Ford, plus Oklahoma State University colleague Phil Kenkel’s (1990) famous quote, “How hard can it be?,” mine could have been just another mediocre career.As a dairy and farm boy from Muskogee County, Oklahoma, with a new Ph.D. in agricultural economics, I set out to educate producers in the area of marketing and risk management. I noticed that attendance at meetings and workshops was good. Participants were interested and listened. They even triedsome of my ideas. Nearly all of them, if not all, reverted back to decisions and techniques they had used before my meetings or workshops.Observant and inquisitive soul that I was, I conducted research to determine who was right. The results indicated that the producers were mostly right! If research-based information and education were to be transferred, and management practices were to be changed, either the subject matter and/or the method of delivery had to change.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 551-551
Author(s):  
David Burdick ◽  
Karen Rose ◽  
Dana Bradley

Abstract Momentum is growing for the Age-Friendly University Network as proponents, primarily gerontology educators, have successfully encouraged university presidents to sign nonbinding pledged to become more age-friendly in programs and policies, endorsing 10 Age-Friendly University Principles. While this trend is inspiring, more is needed to fully achieve benefits for universities, students, communities, and older adults. Four presentations discuss innovative ways of deepening university commitment, weaving the principles into the fabric of the university. The first paper describes thematic content analysis from five focus groups with admissions and career services staff at Washington University in St. Louis and the recommendations that emerged for the provision of programs and services for post-traditional students. The second paper describes efforts to utilize community-impact internships and community partnerships to build support for Age-Friendly University initiatives at Central Connecticut State University, particularly in the context of the university’s recent Carnegie Foundation Engaged Campus designation. The third paper describes how Drexel University became Philadelphia’s first Age-Friendly University and current efforts in the Drexel College of Nursing and Heatlh Care Profession’s AgeWell Collaboratory to convene university-wide leadership for an AFU Steering Committee working on four mission-driven efforts to ensure AFU sustainability. The fourth paper describes steps taken by AFU proponents at Western Oregon State University to gain endorsement from university leadership and community, including mapping the 10 AFU Principles to the university’s strategic plan, faculty senate endorsement, and survey/interview results of older community members’ use of the university, which collectively have enhanced deeper and broader campus buy-in of AFU.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-80
Author(s):  
Joshua Fogel ◽  
Sherilyne Co

Background and Purpose: Tick exposure places one at possible risk for Lyme disease. Awareness of this fact can possibly prevent its occurrence. Urban college students are often in outdoor areas where there is potential tick exposure. Methods: College students in New York City (n=714) were surveyed about demographics, Lyme-disease knowledge, Lyme disease related topics, and dog-specific items. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors that are related to awareness that dogs can be carriers for ticks that transmit Lyme disease. Results: For both dog owners and those who do not own dogs, certain Lyme disease knowledge topics, previously heard of Lyme disease, and aware of a Lyme disease dog vaccine were each associated with increased odds for awareness about dogs being carriers. Among dog owners, African American race/ethnicity and knowing someone diagnosed with Lyme disease were each associated with increased odds for awareness, while previous diagnosis of Lyme disease had decreased odds for awareness. Conclusion: One-on-one education by physicians, nurses, veterinarians, healthcare practitioners and public health practitioners could help address some of the lack of awareness among urban college students that dogs can be carriers for ticks that can transmit Lyme disease.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisiah Aisiah ◽  
Sumarno Sumarno

The purpose of this study was to identify level of historical consciousness of college students in Indonesia in terms of ethnic groups, particularly Javanese and Minangkabau ethnics. Historical consciousness is measured by four aspects, namely knowledge of historical events, understanding of historical research methods, finding meaning of historical events and viewing historical usefulness. Subjects were Javanese college students, represented by history education college students of State University of Yogyakarta and Minangkabau college students represented by history education college students of Padang State University. The research data were collected through historical consciousness test. Test instruments were formulated in the form of multiple choice questions associative consisting of knowledge about historical events, understanding of historical research methods, finding meaning of historical events and viewing usefulness of history. The data were analyzed by the percentage of the average scores level of historical consciousness on both ethnics group of college students. Overall, result analysis showed that percentage score of historical consciousness of Javanese college students is 42% higher than college student of Minangkabau i.e. 39%. It means that the level of historical consciousness of Javanese college students higher than Minangkabau college students.


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