title: Good interventions that few use: uptake of insect bite precautions in a group of Canadian Forces personnel deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan.
abstract: We evaluated use of interventions to prevent insect bites in Canadian personnel deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan. Data were collected through a self-report written survey. The response rate was 92%, and intervention uptake was 11% applied repellent that day, 21% slept under a bednet their last sleep, and 78% wore insecticide-treated clothing. Two associations were usually evident in multivariate analyses: persons perceiving risk of exposure as high were more likely to use bednets and repellent, and individuals reminded to use an intervention had higher odds of doing so. However, even if perception of exposure risk was high and reminders were received, the use of bednets (60%) and repellent (40%) was relatively low. Hence, on the one hand, increased uptake of interventions through targeted messaging might be possible. On the other hand, effectiveness of these interventions might be substantially constrained because of nonuse, even in a motivated and informed population.
authors.affiliation: Communicable Disease Control Program, Directorate Force Health Protection, Department of National Defence, 1745 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa, ON K0A1T0, Canada.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.forename: Fiann
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tepper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000346:Afghanistan; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057147:Mosquito Nets; D011481:Protective Clothing
chemical_list: D007302:Insect Repellents