Travel and health status: a survey follow-up study

Abstract

In this study, travel had a positive effect on the perceived health status of the traveller. The positive effects of travel seemed to outweigh the impact of health problems. Travel did not lead to increased health-related costs, neither in individual health expenses nor indirectly through increased medical consultation rates.

Illness and injury of travellers abroad: Finnish nationwide data from 2010 to 2012, with incidences in various regions of the world

“…The most common single diagnosis was acute gastroenteritis (23%), consistent with previous findings on illness abroad [2,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]28], accounting for one third of inpatient cases. Respiratory infections proved nearly as common (21%), yet with less frequent hospitalisation than for gastroenteritis.…”

“…Respiratory infections proved nearly as common (21%), yet with less frequent hospitalisation than for gastroenteritis. In prospective studies, respiratory infections have been reported in 2-26% of travellers [2,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14].…”

“…Even though the proportionate morbidity data presented in this and previous [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] studies are very informative, the incidence figures are of special value, as they describe more accurately the risks for travellers and, as illustrated in Figure 3, allow comparisons between various regions. Our study sample represents the most severe cases, yet the actual incidence of health problems among travellers needing medical care abroad may in reality be sixfold higher than that presented here (Figure 1).…”

“…Studies relying on questionnaires and telephone interviews [2,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] represent travellers' own reports, not evaluations made by healthcare professionals; those based on travel insurance claims [15,16] are a mixture of both. One of the strengths of our study is data collection directly from clinicians treating the patient abroad.…”

“…Data on illness or injury while abroad have been collected chiefly after travel from questionnaires, telephone surveys [2,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] and insurance claims [15,16], data recorded during actual travel are scarce. While a few studies have reviewed emergency-assistance services of individual insurance companies [17][18][19], comprehensive information on travellers' health problems abroad is non-existent.…”