Atencion Primaria
Volume 46, Issue 4, 2014, Pages 198-203

Prior health advice to immigrants who travel to visit family and friends [Consejo sanitario previo a inmigrantes que viajan para visitar a familiares y amigos] (Article) (Open Access)

Roca C.* , Aguilar A. , Valerio L. , Solsona L. , Carrasco C. , Gimeno-Feliu L.A.
  • a Comisió de Cooperació i Salut Internacional (Cocoopsi), Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar i Comunitària (CAMFiC), Cataluña, Spain
  • b Comisió de Cooperació i Salut Internacional (Cocoopsi), Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar i Comunitària (CAMFiC), Cataluña, Spain
  • c Comisió de Cooperació i Salut Internacional (Cocoopsi), Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar i Comunitària (CAMFiC), Cataluña, Spain
  • d Comisió de Cooperació i Salut Internacional (Cocoopsi), Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar i Comunitària (CAMFiC), Cataluña, Spain
  • e Comisió de Cooperació i Salut Internacional (Cocoopsi), Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar i Comunitària (CAMFiC), Cataluña, Spain
  • f Grupo de Atención Al Inmigrante, Sociedad Aragonesa de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria (SAMFyC), Grupo de Trabajo Inmigración y Salud, Spain

Abstract

Objective Immigrants who make or plan journeys to visit their families in their countries of origin (immigrants -visiting friends and relatives, I-VFR) have a higher risk of acquiring travel-associated diseases than other travellers. The main aim of this study is to analyse the knowledge of the immigrant population on the need to receive health advice (HA) before making international journeys in general and in particular before travelling to their country of origin. Design Observational, multicentre study. Setting Ten Family Doctors from 10 Health Centres in Catalonia and Aragon participated Participants A total of 555 immigrants ≥ 15 years of age, who consulted their Family Doctor and agreed to answer a questionnaire. Opportunity sampling was used. Results A total of 389 (70.1%) of those surveyed considered it necessary to receive HA before making an international journey, 406 (73.2%) were I-VFR and 145 (35.7%) had requested HA prior to the journey, mostly from their Family Doctor (n=60; 41.1%). Almost two-thirds (261, 65.2%) of the subjects did not seek HA, with the most common reason being that they did not consider it necessary (173, 42.6%). Conclusions I-VFR do not usually request HA prior to travelling, basic due to considering it unnecessary. When they do request it, they are very often initially directed to their Family Doctor. © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Travellers immigrants Health Advice visiting friends and relatives

Index Keywords

immigrant multicenter study clinical trial multicenter study (topic) Preventive Health Services human friend travel general practitioner Humans migrant family Adolescent consultation male counseling Emigrants and Immigrants female preventive health service observational study questionnaire Article Questionnaires adult health education Friends immigrant visiting friend and relative health advice
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84898810376&doi=10.1016%2fj.aprim.2013.10.004&partnerID=40&md5=20f2540c1a37736b43979686d8c3d3ea
DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2013.10.004
ISSN: 02126567
Cited by: 2
Original Language: Spanish