Marta Aldea1, Alberto L García-Basteiro2, Jose Muñoz3, Joaquim Gascón3, Edelweiss Aldasoro3, Azucena Bardají3, Anna Vilella4. 1. Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain maldea@clinic.ub.es. 2. Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. 3. Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Rosselló 132, 08036 Barcelona, Spain International Health Centre, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. 4. Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Department, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Rosselló 132, 08036 Barcelona, Spain Public Health Department, University of Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent decades have seen a rise in population movements and, therefore, the spread of tropical diseases and changes in the epidemiology of global disease patterns. Only 50% of travelers to tropical areas receive pre-travel advice and most of them present risk behaviors for acquiring infections. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of travelers and identify factors associated with risk behaviors. METHODS: We made a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of 772 travelers consulting a tropical medicine clinic in Barcelona in 2010. Data on demographic and clinical variables, travel characteristics and risk behaviors were collected. RESULTS: Among all travelers studied, 65.8% (466/708) received pre-travel advice and 30.7% (209/680) took malaria prophylaxis. At least one risk behavior was reported by 82.6% (587/711) of travelers. People traveling for 1-6 months had a 3-fold higher likelihood of experiencing risk behaviors than people traveling for <1 month (95% CI 1.54-5.81, p=0.001), and those traveling for >6 months had a 13-fold higher likelihood (95% CI 3.11-56.14, p<0.001) compared with the same group. Increasing age was associated with presenting less risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Younger travelers and those making longer trips have a higher number of risk behaviors. Strategies emphasizing advice on risk behavior should focus on these groups.
BACKGROUND: Recent decades have seen a rise in population movements and, therefore, the spread of tropical diseases and changes in the epidemiology of global disease patterns. Only 50% of travelers to tropical areas receive pre-travel advice and most of them present risk behaviors for acquiring infections. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of travelers and identify factors associated with risk behaviors. METHODS: We made a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of 772 travelers consulting a tropical medicine clinic in Barcelona in 2010. Data on demographic and clinical variables, travel characteristics and risk behaviors were collected. RESULTS: Among all travelers studied, 65.8% (466/708) received pre-travel advice and 30.7% (209/680) took malaria prophylaxis. At least one risk behavior was reported by 82.6% (587/711) of travelers. People traveling for 1-6 months had a 3-fold higher likelihood of experiencing risk behaviors than people traveling for <1 month (95% CI 1.54-5.81, p=0.001), and those traveling for >6 months had a 13-fold higher likelihood (95% CI 3.11-56.14, p<0.001) compared with the same group. Increasing age was associated with presenting less risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Younger travelers and those making longer trips have a higher number of risk behaviors. Strategies emphasizing advice on risk behavior should focus on these groups.
Authors: S Tardivo; A Zenere; F Moretti; F Marchiori; D Berti; M Migliorini; A Tomasi; S Ferrari; F Tognon; G Napoletano; A Rossanese Journal: Int Health Date: 2020-02-12 Impact factor: 2.473