Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Immigrants who make or plan journeys to visit their families in their countries of origin (immigrants -visiting friends and relatives, I-VFR) have a higher risk of acquiring travel-associated diseases than other travellers. The main aim of this study is to analyse the knowledge of the immigrant population on the need to receive health advice (HA) before making international journeys in general and in particular before travelling to their country of origin. DESIGN: Observational, multicentre study. SETTING: Ten Family Doctors from 10 Health Centres in Catalonia and Aragon participated PARTICIPANTS: A total of 555 immigrants ≥ 15 years of age, who consulted their Family Doctor and agreed to answer a questionnaire. Opportunity sampling was used. RESULTS: A total of 389 (70.1%) of those surveyed considered it necessary to receive HA before making an international journey, 406 (73.2%) were I-VFR and 145 (35.7%) had requested HA prior to the journey, mostly from their Family Doctor (n=60; 41.1%). Almost two-thirds (261, 65.2%) of the subjects did not seek HA, with the most common reason being that they did not consider it necessary (173, 42.6%). CONCLUSIONS: I-VFR do not usually request HA prior to travelling, basic due to considering it unnecessary. When they do request it, they are very often initially directed to their Family Doctor.