Everglades National Park mosquito risk assessment pilot: results of focus groups and interviews

Leong, Kirsten

The National Park Service (NPS) Office of Public Health, Biological Resource Management Division, and Everglades National Park are conducting studies to learn more about risks to employees and residents in Everglades National Park from interactions with mosquitoes and mosquito management. As part of this work, a series of focus groups and interviews were conducted in the park from June 8-12, 2009. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed, and interviewees were given the option opt out of audio recording. Discussions followed a questioning guide, with room for elaboration on other associated topics interviewees wished to discuss. Interviews were analyzed with respect to perceptions of: (1) impacts from mosquitoes and mosquito management, (2) self-efficacy actions, measures that individuals can use to reduce their personal risk from mosquitoes, (3) societal efficacy actions, efforts by NPS to reduce employee exposure to risk from mosquitoes, and (4) collateral impacts related to the choice and implementation self-efficacy and societal efficacy actions. Key findings: • Perception of risk from mosquitoes generally focused on immediate risks of being bitten, ranging from nuisance to distraction to potential safety hazard, and included informal assessments of trade-offs between potential measures that could reduce the likelihood of being bitten and the collateral impacts of those measures • Collateral impacts from most protective measures were described as inconvenient but acceptable, with the exception of protective measures that involved chemicals (i.e., repellents and insecticides). While some were unconcerned about potential health effects from these chemicals, others believed risks from chemical exposure were worse than risks associated with mosquito bites. • Risk perception includes assessments of both “hazard” (probability of harm) and “outrage” (emotional response). Existing human health and safety statistics indicate that hazards associated with mosquitoes are low. Interviewees identified actions NPS can take to reduce outrage factors, by improving certainty, controllability, and reducing dread. • Interviewees acknowledged variation in individual levels of tolerance and desired a suite of tools they could use to control exposure to risk, based on individual preferences. These included providing: a range of PPE for all employees, with information outlining pros and cons of each; information about vector-borne disease risks; and information about any management actions undertaken by NPS and their collateral impacts. • Interviewees desired greater voice when a decision-making process is initiated and identified lack of trust between divisions and with higher levels of NPS management as impediments in the past. Improving communication could begin to address trust issues and may reveal other potential alternatives that have not been identified to date.

Everglades National Park mosquito risk assessment pilot: results of focus groups and interviews

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