title: Pre-travel health preparation for malaria prevention among Hong Kong travellers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria remains a significant cause of travel-related mortality and morbidity. Asians are known to have higher risks because they are less careful in pre-travel health preparations. This study reports on a cohort of travellers to malaria-prone regions examined in a previous study, which explored general levels of pre-travel health preparation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the preparations taken by travellers at Hong Kong International Airport going to destinations with significant malaria risks according to the WHO.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted by personal interviews at the boarding gates of flights in April 2013. The flights were chosen from those to malaria-prone regions (type I or above) from the 2012 WHO International Travel and Health Country List.
  
  
  RESULTS
  403 respondents (75.6% Chinese ethnicity) were travelling to malaria-prone regions. 95.3% were travelling to developing countries including China, Thailand, Malaysia and India. 55.1% of respondents had taken at least one mosquito prevention measure and 8.9% of respondents had malaria chemoprophylaxis. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female gender (OR=2.21, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.97), residence outside Hong Kong (OR=2.71, 95% CI 1.46 to 5.04) and travel including rural areas (OR=5.67, 95% CI 3.11 to 10.34) were predictors of optimum pre-travel health preparations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Underestimation of malaria risks was a major barrier to adequate pre-travel health preparations. Targeted health education and information about risk is necessary to improve levels of travel health preparedness.
authors: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China Accident & Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Kevin K C
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8706-7758
authors: KK
authors: Hung
authors: Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Agatha K Y
authors: AK
authors: Lin
authors: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Calvin K Y
authors: CK
authors: Cheng
authors: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Emily Y Y
authors: EY
authors: Chan
authors: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China Accident & Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: Colin A
authors: CA
authors: Graham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059028:Airports; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D017780:Malaria Vaccines
keywords: PUBLIC HEALTH