Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Joseph Robare

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study, guided by the barriers to physician behavior change (BPBC) framework, was to address the gaps in the Lyme disease empirical literature by examining whether there were significant differences in Lyme disease knowledge, attitude, and practices between primary care physicians in Wisconsin, a high-incidence Midwestern Lyme disease state, and Michigan, a low-incidence Lyme disease Midwestern state. The study was conducted with 65 physicians (53.8% male and 46.2% female). The study hypotheses were tested by conducting a one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), controlling for physicians’ years of practice (the number of patients seen per week were not significantly related to Lyme disease knowledge, attitudes, and practices for either physician group). Univariate results for the first research question showed that physicians in the high-incidence state of Wisconsin had a significantly higher Lyme disease knowledge mean score (M = 82%) than did physicians in the low-incidence Lyme disease state of Michigan (M = 75%). Univariate results for the second research question were not significant: Wisconsin and Michigan physicians had similar attitudes mean scores regarding their patients’ risk for Lyme disease (M = 41% and M = 43%, respectively). Univariate results for the third research question showed that physicians in the high-incidence Lyme disease state of Wisconsin had a significantly higher Lyme disease treatment practices mean score (M = 83%) than did the physicians in the low-incidence Lyme disease state of Michigan (M = 72%). The insights gained from this study can be used to inform epidemiological initiatives concerning the surveillance of Lyme disease in Wisconsin and Michigan.

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