Travel Health-Related Preparation Practices of Institutions of Higher Education and Occurrence of Health-Related Events Among Undergraduate Students Studying Abroad, 2018–2021

Authors

  • Kristina Angelo Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Kaitlyn Ciampaglio Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Julie Richards Stanford University
  • Anjali Silva University of Virginia
  • Catherine Ebelke Montana State University
  • Gerard Flaherty National University of Ireland Galway
  • Gary Brunette Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Sarah Kohl University of Pittsburgh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v36i1.871

Keywords:

Alcohol, drugs, mental health, pre-travel consultation, study abroad

Abstract

Background: Knowledge of specific health-related events encountered by students studying abroad and the availability and use of pre-travel healthcare for these students is lacking. Methods:  Anonymous web-based questionnaires were sent to study abroad offices, student health centers, and undergraduate students after studying abroad at eight institutions of higher education in the United States and Ireland from 2018–2021. Analyses were descriptive; relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for health-related events. Results: One study abroad office required a pre-travel consultation. All student health centers had pre-travel counseling available. Among 686 students, there were 307 infectious and 1,588 non-infectious health-related issues; 12 students (2%) were hospitalized. Duration of travel and timing of a pre-travel consultation impacted the risk of health-related events. Certain mental health conditions were associated with increased risk of alcohol and drug use. Conclusion: Future studies should address the optimal timing and best practices to optimize health for students studying abroad.

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Author Biographies

Kristina Angelo, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Kristina M. Angelo, DO, MPH&TM, is an infectious diseases physician with expertise in travelers’ health and tropical medicine and is a medical epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s in the Travelers’ Health Branch. She also practices travel medicine and infectious diseases at Emory University hospitals and clinics. She is the project officer for GeoSentinel, a global surveillance system that reports on travel-related illnesses. She has subject matter expertise in infectious disease epidemiology and study abroad.

Kaitlyn Ciampaglio, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Kaitlyn Ciampaglio, MPH, is a data scientist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her interests include using data-driven approaches to prevent infectious disease transmission and translating scientific findings to practical outcomes.

Julie Richards, Stanford University

Julie Richards, DNP, MS, is a clinical practitioner who specializes in family medicine and is affiliated with Stanford hospital (USA). She is a Past President of the American Travel Health Nurses Association and a member of the International Society of Travel Medicine and the Student Travel Leadership Council. Her interests include travel health, healthcare information systems, health promotion and prevention, and women’s advocacy.

Anjali Silva, University of Virginia

Anjali Silva, MD, is an internal medicine physician affiliated with the University of Virginia Medical Center (USA). She worked in the University of Virginia student health center, working to provide medical, mental health, and accessibility services to students. She is a member of the International Society of Travel Medicine.

Catherine Ebelke, Montana State University

Catherine Ebelke, PA, is a travel medicine specialist working in the Montana State University Office of Health Advancement (USA). She is the Travel Clinic Coordinator at Montana State’s Student Health Partners and joined in 1998. She has previously worked in Nepal and Belize practicing travel medicine. She is a member of the International Society of Travel Medicine and has special interest in travel medicine, wilderness medicine, and integrative medicine.

Gerard Flaherty, National University of Ireland Galway

Gerard T. Flaherty, MD, PhD, gained Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in 2002 and Fellowship in 2011. He holds a Diploma in Travel Medicine from Glasgow. He has completed three Masters degrees, including a Masters in International and Travel Health and Masters in Medical Education. He is the current president of the International Society of Travel Medicine. His research interests include travel health behavior and mental health issues and travel.

Gary Brunette, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Gary Brunette, MD, is a preventive medicine physician and medical epidemiologist who served as branch chief for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travelers’ Health Branch. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the CDC Yellow Book until 2019. He is now the lead of the Future Leaders in Infections and Global Health Threats (FLIGHT) program at CDC which aims to prepare participants to address global public health threats. He is also a Captain in the US Public Health Service.

Sarah Kohl, University of Pittsburgh

Sarah Kohl, MD, is a pediatrician with expertise in Adolescent Medicine and over 36 years of experience, most recently affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh (USA). Her expertise is in the delivery of quality medical care and education. She has worked in private practice, public health, express care, mobile care, and concierge medicine. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and worked with University of Pittsburgh’s study abroad programs.

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Published

2024-04-16

How to Cite

Angelo, K., Ciampaglio, K., Richards, J., Silva, A., Ebelke, C., Flaherty, G., Brunette, G., & Kohl, S. (2024). Travel Health-Related Preparation Practices of Institutions of Higher Education and Occurrence of Health-Related Events Among Undergraduate Students Studying Abroad, 2018–2021. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 36(1), 418–498. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v36i1.871

Issue

Vol. 36 No. 1 (2024): April 2024

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 Kristina Angelo, Kaitlyn Ciampaglio, Julie Richards, Anjali Silva, Catherine Ebelke, Gerard Flaherty, Gary Brunette, Sarah Kohl

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.