Socio-Psychological and External Factors Influencing Biosecurity Compliance in U.S. Poultry Farming

Abstract

Understanding why poultry farmers follow or neglect biosecurity practices is key to improving communication about the control of infectious and notifiable diseases like avian influenza. This study explored how socio-psychological, demographic, and contextual factors influence biosecurity compliance among U.S. poultry farmers. A questionnaire distributed at a poultry industry event yielded 67 responses from farmers, which were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression with backward elimination. The predictors of high biosecurity tested included perceived outbreak impact, farming experience, and reliance on different information sources to form opinions on disease control. The final model showed that farmers who perceived that a disease outbreak would have a low impact were significantly less likely to follow strict biosecurity measures than those perceiving a higher impact (OR = 0.19, 95% CI [0.036, 0.925]). While compliance with biosecurity was high for most participants, certain practices, such as limiting flock outdoor access or contact with wild birds, were less commonly applied. Further research is needed to identify neglected biosecurity practices and the barriers to their implementation. Notable variations in farmers’ engagement with information sources suggest that communication strategies should involve trusted intermediaries to enhance risk awareness and biosecurity implementation support.