Risk perception about communicable and vector borne diseases among international travellers to Pakistan: A cross sectional study.

Autor: Saeed S; Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Central Health Establishment, Ministry of National Health Services regulations and coordination, Karachi, Pakistan., Tahir Q; Al-Shifa School of Public Health, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan., Kawish AB; Al-Shifa School of Public Health, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association [J Pak Med Assoc] 2024 Mar; Vol. 74 (3), pp. 549-554.
DOI: 10.47391/JPMA.7153
Abstrakt: With the rise in air travel, the risk of diseases travelling from one geographical area to another has also increased. Relatively little is known about how travellers know and perceive the health risks associated with travel and how they adopt preventive measures before and while travelling abroad. The objective of this study is to determine the risk perception about communicable and vector-borne diseases among international travellers arriving from different countries and to find any association between the level of risk perception and independent variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 426 participants enrolled through convenient sampling technique. An already validated questionnaire was used to collect information. Chi square test was applied to ascertain any significant association between dependent and independent variables. Out of 426 respondents, only 226 (53%) had a high risk perception, whereas 220 (47%) had a low risk perception. A significant association was noted between the level of risk perception and gender (x2=20.9, p=0.000), level of education (x2=42.9, p=0.000), nationality (x2=7.5, p= 0.006) and region of arrival of the passengers (x2=26.2, p= 0.000). The results of the study revealed that 220 (47%) of the travellers had a low risk perception that may lead to an increase in the burden on healthcare system in Pakistan as well as exporting any new disease from Pakistan to other parts of the world where it does not already exist.
Databáze: MEDLINE