Student travel health and the role of universities and health clinics in New Zealand to prevent imported infections: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Tertiary students are at risk of acquiring infectious diseases during overseas travel as they visit lowincome countries, have low perceptions of risk and are unlikely to access travel health advice. Some will visit friends and relatives abroad, a group identified as disproportionately affected by imported infections. There is no national student travel health policy in NZ. This study aimed to explore travel health training of university-based health providers; academics' practices and perceptions of travel health; reasons for travel and countries visited by NZ university students, their travel health uptake and factors affecting decision making about this. Methods: A cross-sectional study consisting of surveys sent in 2014 to university clinics, senior academics and students. Results: Surveys were completed by 251 respondents. Three of nine clinicians had only undertaken a short course in travel health. Competing resources and time constraints in health clinics were amongst the barriers to providing optimal services. Of the senior academics, only 14% were able to confirm their university collaborated with health clinics. Sixty seven percent of students were unaware that clinics provided travel health services and 19% had or intended to seek professional travel health advice. Conclusions: A national policy is warranted involving all stakeholders, utilizing innovative technologies to increase uptake of student travel health services.