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Santanu Chatterjee, Health Behavior of International Travelers to Calcutta: Identifying the Need for a Travelers' Clinic, Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 1, Issue 4, 1 December 1994, Pages 187–191, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1708-8305.1994.tb00593.x
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Abstract
With the growing rates of travel and, potentially therefore, of travel‐related illness in India, this study was conducted to establish both the need of a travelers' clinic in Calcutta and a profile of the group or groups at risk of illness best served by such facilities.
A total of 452 visitors, half business and package holiday travelers (group A) and half younger, low‐budget tourists with less pretravel advice (group B), were compared. Through a questionnaire, their health, pretravel advice and prophylaxis, use of first aid, safe water use, posttravel treatment, and opinion concerning the need for a travelers' clinic were determined.
Group A travelers stayed in deluxe hotels with more pretravel advice (90% compared to 72% in group B), were taking antimalarial agents (82% compared to 61% in group B), remained healthy (72% compared to 58% in group B), consumed safe water (87% compared to 47% in group B), and were more likely to seek posttravel treatment (75% compared to 60% in group B). The Group B travelers, consequently, felt an increasing need for a travelers' clinic (92% compared to 82% in group A).
Given the complexities of travel in India, there is a palpable need for appropriate medical attention to travelers, especially among the young, budget tourists, which is best provided at a traveler's clinic.
