{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,3]],"date-time":"2025-11-03T23:04:01Z","timestamp":1762211041534,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,15]],"date-time":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1686787200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand and School of Medicine, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>International university students are vulnerable travellers due to their unpredictable schedules and lifestyles. As Thailand continues to see an increase in international students, evaluating their pre-travel preparation and preventive behaviours is crucial to identify areas for improvement. For this purpose, an online survey focusing on pre-travel preparation, knowledge and preventive practices related to travel health was distributed to 324 eligible international students from 14 Thai universities, with the majority being from Asia and Oceania (79.0%; n = 256). The results showed that half of the respondents (53.7%; n = 175) received professional pre-travel advice, mainly because of the mandatory health examination and vaccination requirements of the host university. The study also revealed inadequate knowledge about infectious and non-infectious health risks, with only one-third being aware that Japanese encephalitis is transmitted by mosquito bites, and less than half of the students recognising Thailand\u2019s emergency services number. Poor preventive practices were also observed, with less than half of those with new sexual partners consistently using condoms and less than half of those riding motorcycles always wearing helmets. These findings highlight the need for a new strategy to improve the standard of travel health preparation among this group of young adult travellers, particularly those from resource-limited countries.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed8060322","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,16]],"date-time":"2023-06-16T02:02:20Z","timestamp":1686880940000},"page":"322","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["International University Students\u2019 Pre-Travel Preparation, Knowledge and Practices towards Travel Health in Thailand: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5104-3241","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sawettachai","family":"Jaita","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Phimphan","family":"Pisutsan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4841-7924","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Saranath","family":"Lawpoolsri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amornphat","family":"Kitro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chatporn","family":"Kittitrakul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Teera","family":"Kusolsuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0428-2354","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Supitcha","family":"Kamolratanakul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Poom","family":"Chompoosri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5987-1658","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gerard T.","family":"Flaherty","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland"},{"name":"School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7346-7662","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jittima","family":"Dhitavat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2022, February 22). International Student Mobility Statistics. Available online: http:\/\/data.uis.unesco.org."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Guillerme, G. (2022). International Student Mobility at a Glance 2022, Top International Managers in Engineering."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1057\/hep.2012.3","article-title":"Shifting Patterns of Student Mobility in Asia","volume":"25","author":"Chan","year":"2012","journal-title":"High. Educ. Policy"},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Knight, J. (2015). Routledge Handbook of International Education and Development, Routledge."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"OHEC (2016). A Survey on Current Status of International Students Studying in Public and Private Higher Education Institutions in Thailand in 2013."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand (2023, April 14). International Student Mobility Statistics. Available online: http:\/\/info.mhesi.go.th\/info\/."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"tay085","DOI":"10.1093\/jtm\/tay085","article-title":"Learning to travel: Reducing the health risks of study abroad opportunities","volume":"25","author":"Flaherty","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Heywood, A.E., Zhang, M., MacIntyre, C.R., and Seale, H. (2012). Travel risk behaviours and uptake of pre-travel health preventions by university students in Australia. BMC Infect. Dis., 12.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2334-12-43"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"tax009","DOI":"10.1093\/jtm\/tax009","article-title":"Student travel health and the role of universities and health clinics in New Zealand to prevent imported infections: A cross-sectional study","volume":"24","author":"Neave","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1007\/s10900-018-0554-5","article-title":"Students\u2019 Alcohol Use, Sexual Behaviors, and Contraceptive Use While Studying Abroad","volume":"44","author":"Marcantonio","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Community Health"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"501","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tmaid.2015.08.005","article-title":"Likelihood of Irish university students adhering to recommended preventive measures during travel","volume":"13","author":"Flaherty","year":"2015","journal-title":"Travel Med. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"338","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1708-8305.2009.00322.x","article-title":"Travel Health Risk Perceptions and Prevention Behaviors of US Study Abroad Students","volume":"16","author":"Hartjes","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"684","DOI":"10.1111\/medu.12753","article-title":"Illness and risk behaviour in health care students studying abroad","volume":"49","author":"Angelin","year":"2015","journal-title":"Med. Educ."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101779","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tmaid.2020.101779","article-title":"Travel preparation and health risks in Dutch and Belgian medical students during an elective in low- or middle-income countries: A prospective self-reporting cohort study","volume":"37","author":"Vlot","year":"2020","journal-title":"Travel Med. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1016\/j.idh.2020.03.002","article-title":"Travel health risk perceptions of Chinese international students in Australia\u2014Implications for COVID-19","volume":"25","author":"Ma","year":"2020","journal-title":"Infect. Dis. Health"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"866","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jiac.2019.04.015","article-title":"Health risk management behaviors and related factors among Japanese university students participating in short-term study abroad programs","volume":"25","author":"Yamakawa","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Infect. Chemother."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"125","article-title":"Prevalence of Travel Related Illness amongst a Group of Chinese Undergraduate Students in Hong Kong","volume":"7","author":"As","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102532","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tmaid.2022.102532","article-title":"Perceptions of travel-related health risks and pre-travel health-seeking behaviour among students: A qualitative analysis","volume":"52","author":"Sohail","year":"2023","journal-title":"Travel Med. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"tay074","DOI":"10.1093\/jtm\/tay074","article-title":"Illness among US resident student travellers after return to the USA: A GeoSentinel analysis, 2007\u20132017","volume":"25","author":"Angelo","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sharafeldin, E., Soonawala, D., Vandenbroucke, J.P., Hack, E., and Visser, L.G. (2010). Health risks encountered by Dutch medical students during an elective in the tropics and the quality and comprehensiveness of pre-and post-travel care. BMC Med. Educ., 10.","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-6920-10-89"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"tax012","DOI":"10.1093\/jtm\/tax012","article-title":"Travel medicine perspectives of select travel medicine experts practicing in the Asia-Pacific region","volume":"24","author":"Leder","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hernandez-Suarez, G., Saha, D., Lodro\u00f1o, K., Boonmahittisut, P., Taniwijaya, S., Saha, A., Badur, S., and Poovorawan, Y. (2021). Seroprevalence and incidence of hepatitis A in Southeast Asia: A systematic review. PLoS ONE, 16.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0258659"},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"39","article-title":"Cyclical, Temporary, No Return. Multiple Navigational Strategies of Displaced Persons from Myanmar","volume":"50","author":"Horstmann","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. Q. Asian Stud."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"741","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268818000602","article-title":"Imported case of measles in a university setting leading to an outbreak of measles in Edinburgh, Scotland from September to December 2016","volume":"146","author":"Kirolos","year":"2018","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5081","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vaccine.2012.05.078","article-title":"Perceptions of mumps and MMR vaccination among university students in England: An online survey","volume":"30","author":"Conrad","year":"2012","journal-title":"Vaccine"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1876","DOI":"10.3346\/jkms.2017.32.11.1876","article-title":"An Outbreak of Measles in a University in Korea, 2014","volume":"32","author":"Choe","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Korean Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1016\/j.puhe.2021.03.023","article-title":"Evaluation of a measles vaccination campaign at the universities in the city of Zurich, 2019","volume":"195","author":"Lang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Public Health"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, C.H., Ling, J., Liu, C., Schrader, K., Ammigan, R., and Mclntire, E. (2023). Vaccination rates among international students: Insights from a university health vaccination initiative. J. Am. Coll. Health, 1\u20138.","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2022.2155470"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1111\/jtm.12097","article-title":"Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of US practitioners who provide pre-travel advice","volume":"21","author":"Kogelman","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1009","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.19-0672","article-title":"Incidence of Travelers\u2019 Diarrhea among Adult Foreign Travelers in Thailand: A Prospective Study","volume":"102","author":"Sharma","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"485","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.15-0157","article-title":"Traveler\u2019s diarrhea in foreign travelers in Southeast Asia: A cross-sectional survey study in Bangkok, Thailand","volume":"93","author":"Kittitrakul","year":"2015","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102406","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tmaid.2022.102406","article-title":"Malaria in long-term travelers: Infection risks and adherence to preventive measures\u2014A prospective cohort study","volume":"49","author":"Suryapranata","year":"2022","journal-title":"Travel Med. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"240","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2020.1740232","article-title":"\u201cI don\u2019t think I have a chance to get it\u201d: International university student HPV knowledge and preventive behaviors","volume":"70","author":"Nkwonta","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Health"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1186\/s13690-021-00777-z","article-title":"\u201cI always prefer to withdraw than use a condom\u201d: Contextualising condomless sex among East Asian and sub-Saharan African international students in Sydney","volume":"80","author":"Okeke","year":"2022","journal-title":"Arch. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1947","DOI":"10.1007\/s00705-020-04716-1","article-title":"Global prevalence of HCV and\/or HBV coinfections among people who inject drugs and female sex workers who live with HIV\/AIDS: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"165","author":"Rashti","year":"2020","journal-title":"Arch. Virol."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"384","DOI":"10.1177\/1010539519860733","article-title":"A Systematic Review on Epidemiology and Promotion of Motorcycle Helmet Use in Thailand","volume":"31","author":"German","year":"2019","journal-title":"Asia Pac. J. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"taac074","DOI":"10.1093\/jtm\/taac074","article-title":"Risk of deaths due to injuries in travellers: A systematic review","volume":"29","author":"Wyler","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101579","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tmaid.2020.101579","article-title":"Adherence to recommendations at a Canadian tertiary care Family Travel Clinic\u2014A single centre analysis","volume":"34","author":"Fong","year":"2020","journal-title":"Travel Med. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"taz045","DOI":"10.1093\/jtm\/taz045","article-title":"Incidence of health problems in travelers to Southeast Asia: A prospective cohort study","volume":"26","author":"Pisutsan","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.3200\/JACH.56.2.109-118","article-title":"Mental Health Need, Awareness, and Use of Counseling Services Among International Graduate Students","volume":"56","author":"Hyun","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Health"}],"container-title":["Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2414-6366\/8\/6\/322\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T19:56:02Z","timestamp":1760126162000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2414-6366\/8\/6\/322"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,15]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6]]}},"alternative-id":["tropicalmed8060322"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/tropicalmed8060322","relation":{},"ISSN":["2414-6366"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2414-6366"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,15]]}}}