title: Travel agents and the prevention of health problems among travelers in Québec.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Among the factors influencing travelers to seek preventive health advice before departure, the travel agent's recommendation plays an important role. The objective of our study was to document the practices and needs of travel agents in Québec (Canada) in relation to the prevention of health problems among travelers.
  
  
  METHODS
  In June 2000, a cross-sectional descriptive survey was carried out among travel agents from all travel agencies in Québec. One agent per agency was asked to answer our questions. Data were collected using a 32-item telephone questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether, 708 travel agents from the 948 agencies contacted answered our questionnaire (participation rate: 75%). Most respondents (81%) believed that the travel agent has a role to play in the prevention of health problems among travelers, especially to recommend that travelers consult a travel clinic before departure. Although over 80% of the agents interviewed mentioned recommending a visit to a travel clinic before an organized tour to Thailand or a backpacking trip in Mexico, less than half said they make the same recommendation for a stay in a seaside resort in Mexico. The majority of respondents were acquainted with the services offered in travel health clinics, and these clinics were the source of travel health information most often mentioned by travel agents. However, nearly 60% of the agents questioned had never personally consulted a travel clinic. When asked about the best way to receive information about travelers' health, more than 40% of respondents favoured receiving information newsletters from public health departments regularly whereas 28% preferred the Internet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the limits of this study, our results should help the public health network better target its interventions aimed to inform travel agents on prevention of health problems among travelers.
authors.affiliation: Direction de la santé publique des Laurentides, Saint-Jérôme, and Institute National de sant publique du Québec, Saint-Jérôme, Canada.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Provost
authors.forename: Colette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaulin
authors.forename: Blandine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Piquet-Gauthier
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Emmanuelli
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venne
authors.forename: Réjean
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dion
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Grenier
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dessau
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dubuc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003253:Consultants; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel