Discussion
These results show that the PHP who travel internationally take part in activities that are health risks, such as travel in rural areas, handling animals, contact with blood/body fluids, and travel in malarious areas. These health risks include some that travelers did not anticipate before their trips, such as travel to rural areas and contact with animals. Approximately one fourth of all PHP travelers reported illness during travel, with primarily mild respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. Having their pre-travel appointments more than 14 days prior to departure was associated with less illness in this group during travel. These results provide support for current recommendations of pre-travel visits to health care providers as an effective means to reduce travel-related illness among international travelers [7]. The difference between the anticipated and actual exposures to risks during travel raises two issues for providers. First, travel medicine providers should be aware that even experienced travelers may not anticipate all the risks they will encounter and so should provide advice on potential health risks at travelers’ destinations that includes information that the traveler may not think they will need. Second, travel health kits should be equipped with medication and supplies for potential risks that at least some travelers may encounter at their destinations, whether or not the traveler plans on engaging in risky activities. Providers could explain to such travelers that it is not uncommon for international travelers to be exposed to risks that they had not anticipated prior to travel. Travelers may be more accepting of a comprehensive travel health kit if the reasons for the comprehensive kit are explained to them prior to travel. More than one-fourth of PHP travelers in our study reported moderate to high levels of stress associated with their most recent international travel. Travel-related stress was more often associated with fatigue and with issues at home (e.g., work obligations and strained relationships), rather than illness or issues at the destination (e.g., loneliness and problems with coworkers). These findings present an opportunity to educate travelers about recognizing signs of fatigue in themselves and also how to prepare their friends and families for potential stress while they are away. Based on these results, employers may also want to find ways to ensure that work obligations at home do not cause stress while travelers are at their destination. Travelers should be made aware if an employee assistance program is available to assist those dealing with emotional challenges associated with travel. Travel medicine providers should also be aware of potential risk factors for psychological distress, such as pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses, recent major life stressors or emotional strain, and exposure to prior traumas, especially among PHP preparing for long-term travel or participating in activities likely to be stressful, such as emergency response [7]. Nearly all (96%) respondents traveled to developing countries, with half (50%) traveling to Africa. Of the travelers to developing countries, 95% reported following health and safety recommendations always or most of the time when traveling. However, 23% of travelers who visited malarious areas reported either inconsistent or no use of prophylaxis. The reasons reported for noncompliance (forgetting, side effects) are similar to those reported by international travelers in other studies [8]. A study of frequent international business travelers suggests that a strong institutional effort by company health clinics was an important factor in high levels of knowledge of malaria symptoms and prevention among travelers [9]. The fact that even a population of health professionals reported misconceptions about malaria as a reason for not taking prophylaxis (e.g., preferring treatment rather than prophylaxis, feeling that nothing can be done to prevent malaria, believing that being born in an endemic country confers immunity to malaria) suggests that efforts should be made to educate all PHP international travelers on appropriate use of malaria prophylaxis; the assumption should not be made that such professionals are more knowledgeable about malaria. Appropriate use of malaria prophylaxis could be improved by health communication and education to increase knowledge of risks associated with malaria and of lack of side effects of most currently prescribed antimalarial medications [9]. Our study has several limitations. PHP may not be representative of all international travelers, since they are likely to have more disease knowledge than other populations of travelers and greater access to pre-travel health care. The PHP in this sample are also provided with vaccines and prophylaxes free of charge, which presumably makes them more likely to have and use the recommended items than other populations of travelers. In addition, the survey sample was drawn from only one public health organization and so may not be representative of all PHP. There is also a potential selection bias, since the survey could be administered only to those travelers who came for pre-travel visits, who are a minority of international travelers within the organization, so the sample may not be representative of all PHP within the organization. Since pre-travel visits in this organization are recommended but not required, those PHP who sought pre-travel advice are likely to be more aware of travel risks than those who did not come for pre-travel visits. This suggests that the rates of noncompliance with health recommendations such as malaria prophylaxis may be lower among this group than among other PHP in the organization. Our results suggest that communication and education outreach for PHP to prevent travel-associated illnesses can be improved. The best communication and education materials will have no effect if the intended audience does not see them. The fact that few PHP travelers in our survey had consulted their own organization’s website for health information prior to travel suggests that new strategies are needed to ensure that travelers receive important information prior to travel. Travel medicine providers were the only source of health information for 59% of the travelers in this study, and as such providers have an opportunity to educate PHP international travelers. Travel medicine providers could consider different ways of providing information, such as having relevant information routinely printed out from websites and given to travelers at their appointments. Employers could also develop strategies for health communication (e.g., part of the procedure to booking and arranging for travel could involve a required step of visiting the relevant web pages). This survey primarily assessed occupational health risks among PHP (travel to malarious areas, exposure to blood/ body fluids, etc.). If other organizations that send employees overseas were to undertake assessments such as this one, they could build up a repository of the most likely risks by destination to update their guidance during the pre-travel consult. It will also be important to conduct further research on other health risks faced by PHP such as insect preventive measures, fresh water exposure, appropriate dietary habits, sexual exposures, etc. in order to Health risks and illness among public health professionals 353develop appropriate strategies for protecting the health of PHP international travelers.
สนทนา These results show that the PHP who travel internationally take part in activities that are health risks, such as travel in rural areas, handling animals, contact with blood/body fluids, and travel in malarious areas. These health risks include some that travelers did not anticipate before their trips, such as travel to rural areas and contact with animals. Approximately one fourth of all PHP travelers reported illness during travel, with primarily mild respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. Having their pre-travel appointments more than 14 days prior to departure was associated with less illness in this group during travel. These results provide support for current recommendations of pre-travel visits to health care providers as an effective means to reduce travel-related illness among international travelers [7]. The difference between the anticipated and actual exposures to risks during travel raises two issues for providers. First, travel medicine providers should be aware that even experienced travelers may not anticipate all the risks they will encounter and so should provide advice on potential health risks at travelers’ destinations that includes information that the traveler may not think they will need. Second, travel health kits should be equipped with medication and supplies for potential risks that at least some travelers may encounter at their destinations, whether or not the traveler plans on engaging in risky activities. Providers could explain to such travelers that it is not uncommon for international travelers to be exposed to risks that they had not anticipated prior to travel. Travelers may be more accepting of a comprehensive travel health kit if the reasons for the comprehensive kit are explained to them prior to travel. More than one-fourth of PHP travelers in our study reported moderate to high levels of stress associated with their most recent international travel. Travel-related stress was more often associated with fatigue and with issues at home (e.g., work obligations and strained relationships), rather than illness or issues at the destination (e.g., loneliness and problems with coworkers). These findings present an opportunity to educate travelers about recognizing signs of fatigue in themselves and also how to prepare their friends and families for potential stress while they are away. Based on these results, employers may also want to find ways to ensure that work obligations at home do not cause stress while travelers are at their destination. Travelers should be made aware if an employee assistance program is available to assist those dealing with emotional challenges associated with travel. Travel medicine providers should also be aware of potential risk factors for psychological distress, such as pre-existing psychiatric diagnoses, recent major life stressors or emotional strain, and exposure to prior traumas, especially among PHP preparing for long-term travel or participating in activities likely to be stressful, such as emergency response [7]. Nearly all (96%) respondents traveled to developing countries, with half (50%) traveling to Africa. Of the travelers to developing countries, 95% reported following health and safety recommendations always or most of the time when traveling. However, 23% of travelers who visited malarious areas reported either inconsistent or no use of prophylaxis. The reasons reported for noncompliance (forgetting, side effects) are similar to those reported by international travelers in other studies [8]. A study of frequent international business travelers suggests that a strong institutional effort by company health clinics was an important factor in high levels of knowledge of malaria symptoms and prevention among travelers [9]. The fact that even a population of health professionals reported misconceptions about malaria as a reason for not taking prophylaxis (e.g., preferring treatment rather than prophylaxis, feeling that nothing can be done to prevent malaria, believing that being born in an endemic country confers immunity to malaria) suggests that efforts should be made to educate all PHP international travelers on appropriate use of malaria prophylaxis; the assumption should not be made that such professionals are more knowledgeable about malaria. Appropriate use of malaria prophylaxis could be improved by health communication and education to increase knowledge of risks associated with malaria and of lack of side effects of most currently prescribed antimalarial medications [9]. Our study has several limitations. PHP may not be representative of all international travelers, since they are likely to have more disease knowledge than other populations of travelers and greater access to pre-travel health care. The PHP in this sample are also provided with vaccines and prophylaxes free of charge, which presumably makes them more likely to have and use the recommended items than other populations of travelers. In addition, the survey sample was drawn from only one public health organization and so may not be representative of all PHP. There is also a potential selection bias, since the survey could be administered only to those travelers who came for pre-travel visits, who are a minority of international travelers within the organization, so the sample may not be representative of all PHP within the organization. Since pre-travel visits in this organization are recommended but not required, those PHP who sought pre-travel advice are likely to be more aware of travel risks than those who did not come for pre-travel visits. This suggests that the rates of noncompliance with health recommendations such as malaria prophylaxis may be lower among this group than among other PHP in the organization. Our results suggest that communication and education outreach for PHP to prevent travel-associated illnesses can be improved. The best communication and education materials will have no effect if the intended audience does not see them. The fact that few PHP travelers in our survey had consulted their own organization’s website for health information prior to travel suggests that new strategies are needed to ensure that travelers receive important information prior to travel. Travel medicine providers were the only source of health information for 59% of the travelers in this study, and as such providers have an opportunity to educate PHP international travelers. Travel medicine providers could consider different ways of providing information, such as having relevant information routinely printed out from websites and given to travelers at their appointments. Employers could also develop strategies for health communication (e.g., part of the procedure to booking and arranging for travel could involve a required step of visiting the relevant web pages). This survey primarily assessed occupational health risks among PHP (travel to malarious areas, exposure to blood/ body fluids, etc.). If other organizations that send employees overseas were to undertake assessments such as this one, they could build up a repository of the most likely risks by destination to update their guidance during the pre-travel consult. It will also be important to conduct further research on other health risks faced by PHP such as insect preventive measures, fresh water exposure, appropriate dietary habits, sexual exposures, etc. in order to Health risks and illness among public health professionals 353develop appropriate strategies for protecting the health of PHP international travelers.
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