Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy.
Medical Specialization School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar 18;18(6):3110. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18063110.
The aim of this study was to improve our comprehension of the attitudes, behaviors, and practices related to the health risks of travel to non-European destinations.
This cross-sectional study utilized an online questionnaire disseminated through social networks.
About 79% of the respondents reported that they informed themselves or would inform themselves about travel-related health risks before departure. The most used sources of information were the Internet (52%) and health professionals (42%). Older age groups were positively associated with seeking pretravel health information (OR = 2.44, CI 95%: 1.18-5.01, in the age group 25-34 years and OR = 14.6, CI 95%: 1.77-119.50, in subjects over 65 years). Travelers visiting friends and relatives (VFRs) were less likely to seek health information (OR = 0.49; CI 95%: 0.26-0.95). About 13.9% of participants had doubts about the practice of vaccination. Those who sought information on social media had a higher probability of refusing vaccination (OR = 3.24; CI 95%: 1.02-10.19).
The data demonstrate that VFRs and the younger population are less informed about travel risks compared with other travelers. This study also revealed the importance that digital information assumes for travelers. Therefore, decisive efforts should be made to ensure that travelers can find correct and reliable information on the Web, particularly on social media.
本研究旨在增进我们对与前往非欧洲目的地旅行相关的健康风险的态度、行为和实践的理解。
本横断面研究使用在线问卷通过社交网络进行传播。
约 79%的受访者表示，他们在出发前会了解或将会了解与旅行相关的健康风险。最常使用的信息来源是互联网（52%）和卫生专业人员（42%）。年龄较大的群体更倾向于寻求旅行前健康信息（25-34 岁年龄组的 OR = 2.44，95%CI：1.18-5.01，年龄组超过 65 岁的 OR = 14.6，95%CI：1.77-119.50）。探亲访友旅行者（VFRs）不太可能寻求健康信息（OR = 0.49；95%CI：0.26-0.95）。约 13.9%的参与者对疫苗接种的做法存在疑虑。那些在社交媒体上寻求信息的人更有可能拒绝接种疫苗（OR = 3.24；95%CI：1.02-10.19）。
数据表明，与其他旅行者相比，VFR 和年轻人群对旅行风险的了解较少。本研究还揭示了数字信息对旅行者的重要性。因此，应做出果断努力，确保旅行者能够在网络上找到正确可靠的信息，特别是在社交媒体上。
