Impact of Ebola on Americans Aged 25-30 Years
For this assignment, identify a healthcare-related area of interest and create an outline for a realistic (but hypothetical) research proposal outline. Include the following sections in your outline:
I. Introduction – In a brief paragraph (5-7 sentences) explain your selected topic (i.e., Impact of Ebola among Americans Aged 25-30).
a. Problem Statement (i.e., The fear of Ebola contraction significantly lowers international travel among Americans Aged 25-30).
b. Null Hypothesis
c. Alternative Hypothesis
II. Purpose of Study – Identify the importance and significance of the study (5-7 sentences).
III. Literature Review - For this section, you will not complete an entire literature review; however, using the Trident Library, find three scholarly publications that support your problem, and create an annotated bibliography. (For additional information on how to prepare an annotated bibliography, visit the following source:http://guides.library.cornell.edu/annotatedbibliography)
IV. Methodology/Evaluation – Explain your research methods (i.e., qualitative, quantitative, mix-methods, etc.). In addition, identify the research tools you will use (i.e., survey, questionnaire, etc.) and how you will employ them.
V. Expectations – In a brief paragraph (5-7 sentences), explain what you expect to uncover in the research project.
Impact of Ebola on Americans Aged 25-30 Years
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Impact of Ebola on Americans Aged 25-30 Years
Introduction
Even though Ebola outbreaks are more common in Africa, they affect people in other parts of the world, including America. Such outbreaks create fear among people in both affected and unaffected regions. In America, Ebola outbreaks are characterized by conspiracy beliefs because many Americans do not trust the information provided by public health officials and news outlets about the outbreaks (Earnshaw et al., 2019). In turn, this affects their response and perception of Ebola and raises more concern and fear. The responses include travel avoidance.
Problem Statement
Ebola outbreaks are associated with increased fear and concerns about international travel. According to Zheng et al. (2021), infectious diseases and pandemics create fear of travel because they are contagious and are associated with high risks of infection when people travel. Among Americans, the fear of contracting an infectious disease such as Ebola interferes with international travel.
Hypothesis
H0: An Ebola outbreak negatively influences the perceptions of Americans aged 25-30 on international travel
H1: An Ebola outbreak does not influence the perceptions of Americans aged 25-30 on international travel
Purpose of Study
Given the nature of transmission of Ebola, it is important to understand how public perception of Ebola might influence the travel intentions of Americans aged 25-30. As mentioned earlier, outbreaks of infectious diseases are associated with travel avoidance. This study will create an understanding of the relationship between Ebola outbreaks and international travel among young adults. This information is useful to policymakers and healthcare professionals because it can help them understand the kind of protective actions taken by individuals in this age group to help them feel safe during an Ebola outbreak. The findings can then be generalized to other infectious diseases.
Literature Review
The findings from the three articles discussed below support the research topic by providing evidence of how pandemics such as Ebola affect international travel.
Johnson, B. (2017). Hazard avoidance, symbolic and practical: the case of Americans’ reported responses to Ebola. Journal of Risk Research, 22(3), 346-363. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2017.1378252
Johnson (2017) explored the effects of the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreaks on Americans’ avoidance behavior. Using longitudinal surveys to collect data, he found that Americans not only avoided people from West Africa but also avoided traveling to West Africa. They also limited air travel using commercial flights. Johnson (2017) also found that the avoidance behaviors among Americans represented symbolic avoidance because they made them appear concerned and prudent even though they rarely engaged in the behaviors they were avoiding in the first place. He concluded that the avoidance behaviors adopted by Americans during an Ebola outbreak can be damaging or useful depending on whether they reduce the risk of Ebola exposure and infection.
Cahyanto, I., Wiblishauser, M., Pennington-Gray, L., & Schroeder, A. (2016). The dynamics of travel avoidance: The case of Ebola in the U.S. Tour Manage Perspect, 195-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2016.09.0...