The level of belief regarding the risk of each factor were categorized as follows: highly increases risk, increases risk, does not increase risk, and do not
know. The answer “highly increases risk” and “increases risk” were grouped as “yes”, and the
answer “does not increase risk” and “do not know” were grouped as “no” in the analysis. Participants were then provided with a list of preventive behaviours and asked whether they thought
that each of these could prevent them from acquiring infectious diseases. For example, we
asked the participant, “Do you think that wearing protective gear such as rubber boots and rubber gloves during exposure to soil could protect you from getting infectious diseases?” The
level of belief regarding the effectiveness of each preventive behaviour were categorized as follows: highly effective, (2) effective, (3) not effective, and (4) do not know. The answer “highly effective” and “effective” were grouped as “yes”, and the answer “not effective” and “do not
know” were grouped as “no” in the analysis. To evaluate the level of inaccurate knowledge
about the direct application of herbal remedies or an organic substance to open wounds, these
were added into the list of preventive behaviours in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was
developed by PC and DL.