HEALTH-PROBLEMS AND SELF-MEDICATION AMONG SWEDISH TRAVELERS

500 consecutive travellers seeking pre-travel health advice were issue d a questionnaire before leaving Sweden to continuously record hearth problems and use of medication during travel. Of 442 subjects who turn ed in assessable questionnaires (232 male and 210 female, mean age 37 years), 81% travelled to areas at high risk for the acquisition of dia rrhea. The mean duration of travel was 4 weeks. During travel 218 (49% at 95% CI 44.3 to 53.7%) of the travellers experienced some illness a nd 61 (14%) had symptoms of more than one illness. The mean duration o f illness was 4.5 days, and 65 subjects (30% of ill travellers) were c onfined to bed for a mean duration of 2 days. The incidence of illness was significantly (p < 0.01) higher among travellers to high risk tha n to low risk areas (55% vs 26%), among young travellers than among el derly (65% vs 33%), and among those going on adventure tours compared with recreational tourists (74% vs 41%), Diarrhea was reported by 36% (95% CI 31.6 to 40.5%), and respiratory tract infection by 21% (95% CI 17.2 to 24.8%). Self-medication with one or several drugs was initiat ed by 163 (75%) travellers experiencing illness during travel Thus, ev ery second Swedish traveller to tropical and subtropical areas experie nced some kind of travel-related, often incapacitating, health problem .