Travel health: perceptions and practices of travel consultants.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The global increase in international travel puts travelers at risk of travel-related morbidity and mortality. Prior to travel, most travelers have contact with a travel agency, thereby providing an opportunity for intervention. With this in mind we aimed to determine some of the travel-related health knowledge, practices and needs of travel consultants. METHODS: A cross sectional study was undertaken in which one travel consultant from each of 166 Western Australian travel agencies was asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-five travel agencies (87%) agreed to participate in the study. Fifty-six percent indicated that they "usually" gave broad travel-related health guidelines and recommended their clients consult a medical practitioner. Almost all travel consultants reported discussing travel health insurance; very few provided information on sexually transmissible diseases, the risks associated with drug use, or first aid kits. Over 80% responded correctly to statements eliciting their knowledge on yellow fever, malaria, and food safety; the majority incorrectly answered questions on dengue fever and altitude sickness. Fifty-six percent of respondents thought that there was "not enough" readily accessible travel health information; 52% said they would like to be more involved in providing health information to their clients. CONCLUSIONS: Contact between travelers and travel agents offers an opportunity to promote awareness of travel-related health hazards. While travel consultants' health knowledge on some topics is adequate, in other areas it is inconsistent. Many travel consultants in Western Australia expressed a willingness to be involved in future health promotion activities. This participation may be best nurtured by providing travel consultants with (1) better health education so they are able to identify high-risk travelers and destinations for medical referral; and, (2) health information in a format they feel comfortable distributing to their clients.