Invitation to participate in a research project on tick-borne diseases
With the aim of helping at-risk populations to better protect themselves against tick-borne diseases, a team of researchers would like to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing integrated prevention strategies among citizens in the Estrie and Montérégie regions. They would like to recruit around 210 households located near a wooded area in the Estrie and Montérégie regions to take part in their study.
The incidence of tick-borne diseases continues to rise year after year in Quebec. In addition to Lyme disease, the incidence of which has tripled in Quebec over the past five years, a major outbreak of human anaplasmosis occurred in the Eastern Townships in 2021. Residents of the Eastern Townships and Montérégie living near wooded areas are particularly at risk of exposure to tick-borne diseases.
Type of project
The aim of the project is to assess the impact of personalized in-home support and an interactive digital tool on the adoption of preventive practices, empowerment, risk perception and the risk of tick bites among people living in at-risk areas. The effects of these initiatives on knowledge, attitudes and practices will then be evaluated to better understand the determinants of preventive behavior and the relevance of the prevention program put in place.
The project is led by researchers from CÉGEP de Saint-Hyacinthe, Université de Montréal and Université de Sherbrooke, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Bishops, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Directions de santé publique de l’Estrie et de la Montérégie. It is funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec’s Recherches en milieu collégial – soutien à des projets en équipe program, health component. As the funding came from a college program, the ethics certificate was awarded by the Cégep Édouard-Montpetit Research Ethics Committee.
Why take part?
Would you like to learn how to better manage the risk of tick exposure around your home or during your outdoor activities, while contributing to the advancement of science?
Study participants will have access to live or recorded online training with one of our trainers. A third of participants, selected at random, will benefit from an in-home consultation with members of our research team to analyze risk factors around the home, issue preventive recommendations and propose an action plan to reduce tick exposure.
Registration
Les personnes de plus de 18 ans dont la maison est située dans une zone à risque en Estrie et en Montérégie, à proximité d’une forêt où des tiques sont présentes, sont invitées à participer à l’étude. Pour savoir si votre maison est située dans une zone à risque, cliquez sur le lien suivant et suivez les instructions (déplacez votre souris sur le i pour voir les instructions) : preventick.ca/Carte/.
For more details on the project and the nature of participation, please consult the Research Project Information and Consent Form.
To register or if you have any questions: fill in the form and/or e-mail Elizabeth Dyer, research assistant at CEGEP de St-Hyacinthe and Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, at [email protected].
Note : The Town of Sutton has no involvement in this project. As this project concerns a health problem in our region, we are passing on the information for the benefit of the entire population. .