Improving the uptake of pre-travel health advice amongst migrant Australians: exploring the attitudes of primary care providers and migrant community groups

BMC Infectious Diseases

Research Article

Mitchell Smith¹  Nicholas Zwar²  Rajneesh Kaur²  Heather Worth²  Abela Mahimbo²  Anita E Heywood²  Holly Seale²  C. Raina MacIntyre³ 

[1] NSW Refugee Health Service, Sydney, Australia;School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia;

关键词: Vaccination;    Travel;    Migrants;    Attitudes;    Visiting friends and relatives;    Infectious diseases;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12879-016-1479-1

 received in 2015-04-23, accepted in 2016-03-24,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMigrant travellers who return to their country of origin to visit family and friends (VFR) are less likely to seek travel-related medical care and are less likely to adhere to recommended medications and travel precautions. Through this study, we aimed to get an understanding of the views of stakeholders from community migrant centres and primary care providers on barriers for migrants, particularly from non-English speaking backgrounds, in accessing travel health advice and the strategies that could be used to engage them.MethodsA qualitative study involving 20 semi-structured interviews was undertaken in Sydney, Australia between January 2013 and September 2014. Thematic analysis was undertaken.ResultsLanguage barriers, a lower perceived risk of travel-related infections and the financial costs of seeking pre-travel health care were nominated as being the key barriers impacting on the uptake of pre-travel health advice and precautions. To overcome pre-existing language barriers, participants advocated for the use of bilingual community educators, community radio, ethnic newspapers and posters in the dissemination of pre-travel health information.ConclusionsTravel is a major vector of importation of infectious diseases into Australia, and VFR travellers are at high risk of infection. Collaboration between the Government, primary care physicians, migrant community groups and migrants themselves is crucial if we are to be successful in reducing travel-related risks among this subgroup of travellers.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Seale et al. 2016