Risk Perception of Travelers to Tropical and Subtropical Countries Visiting a Swiss Travel Health Center
Risk Perception of Travelers to Tropical and Subtropical Countries Visiting a Swiss Travel Health Center
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1708-8305.2012.00671.x
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发表时间：
2013-01-01
影响因子：
25.7
通讯作者：
Hatz, Christoph
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Zimmermann, Rosalie;Hattendorf, Jan;Hatz, Christoph
本研究评估了旅行者旅行前和旅行后的风险感知评级，并与旅行健康专家的评级进行了比较。虽然大多数关于旅行健康知识、态度和做法的调查都集中在疟疾和疫苗可预防的疾病上，但本研究也包括非传染性旅行风险。方法对314名热带亚热带地区旅行者进行旅行前和旅行后对9种旅行相关健康风险的感知。2008年和2009年，所有旅行者都在瑞士热带和公共卫生研究所的旅行诊所寻求旅行前的健康建议。此外，18名瑞士旅行卫生专家对相关风险进行了评估。使用经验证的视觉心理测量工具[疾病和自我测量的图形表示（PRISM）]。结果旅行者和专家对大多数风险的评分相似，除了事故和性传播感染（STI），专家的评分更高。与其他风险相比，事故在两组中的排名都很高，并且是旅行后唯一被认为更高的风险。旅行前和旅行后对所有其他风险的看法相似，旅行后倾向于降低。旅行者在旅行前和旅行后认为蚊子是最高的风险。结论旅行者的风险感知似乎是准确的大多数风险在这项研究中提出的。然而，旅行卫生专业人员应该意识到，旅行者对旅行相关健康风险的某些感知模式可能与专业风险评估不同。重要但未充分认识到的健康风险，如性行为/性传播感染和事故，应被视为任何旅行前健康建议包的一部分。
Background This study assessed the risk perception ratings of travelers pre- and post-travel and in comparison to the ratings by travel health experts. While most surveys on travel health knowledge, attitudes, and practices focus on malaria and vaccine-preventable diseases, noninfectious travel risks were included in this study. Methods Pre- and post-travel perception of nine travel-associated health risks was recorded among 314 travelers to tropical and subtropical destinations. All travelers sought pre-travel health advice at the Travel Clinic of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in 2008 and 2009. In addition, 18 Swiss travel health experts provided an assessment of the respective risks. A validated visual psychometric measuring instrument was used [pictorial representation of illness and self measure (PRISM)]. Results Travelers and experts rated most risks similarly, except for accidents and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) which experts rated higher. Compared to other risks, accidents ranked highly in both groups and were the only risk perceived higher after travel. Pre- and post-travel perceptions of all other risks were similar with a tendency to be lower after travel. Travelers perceived mosquitoes to be the highest risk before travel and accidents after travel. Conclusion Travelers' risk perception appears to be accurate for most risks stated in this study. However, travel health professionals should be aware that some perception patterns among travelers regarding travel-related health risks may be different from professional risk assessment. Important but insufficiently perceived health risks, such as sexual behavior/STIs and accidents, should be considered to be part of any pre-travel health advice package.