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Table 2 Health characteristics and TD-preventive attitudes abroad (N = 2800).

From: Diarrhoea in a large prospective cohort of European travellers to resource-limited destinations

 

Total1)

subgroups

pvalue2)

  

TD

n = 962

mild diarrhoea

n = 303

no diarrhoea abroad

n = 1535

 

Body Mass Index

n = 2789

   

0.734

<18.5

91 (3.3)

32 (35.2)

9 (9.9)

50 (54.9)

 

18.5-29.9

2612 (93.7)

892 (34.2)

283 (10.8)

1437 (55.0)

 

≥30.0

86 (3.0)

34 (39.5)

9 (10.5)

43 (50.0)

 

Allergy (MD assessed) 3)

n = 2785

   

0.721

none

1837 (66.0)

627 (34.1)

205 (11.2)

1005 (54.7)

 

any

632 (34.0)

224 (35.4)

59 (9.3)

349 (55.2)

 

allergic asthma

110 (17.5)

50 (45.5)

11 (10.0)

49 (44.5)

 

allergic asthma vs. others

    

0.013

Comedication3)

n = 2800

   

0.741

none

2475 (88.4)

853 (34.5)

265 (10.7)

1357 (54.8)

 

any

325 (11.6)

109 (33.5)

38 (11.7)

178 (54.8)

 

mental/behavioural 4)

52 (16.8)

25 (23.6)

5 (9.6)

22 (13.3)

 

mental/behavioural vs. others

    

0.031

History of diarrhoea

n = 1843

n = 674

n = 215

n = 954

0.009

none

855 (46.4)

282 (33.0)

99 (11.6)

474 (55.4)

 

TD ever experienced

955 (51.8)

377 (39.5)

110 (11.5)

468 (49.0)

 

Don't remember

33 (1.8)

15 (45.5)

6 (18.2)

12 (36.4)

 

History of TD incapacitation

n = 1029

n = 373

n = 120

n = 497

0.139

low

528 (51.3)

197 (37.3)

65 (12.3)

266 (50.4)

 

intermediate to severe

501 (48.7)

215 (42.9)

55 (11.0)

231 (46.1)

 

Subjective diarrhoea susceptibility

n = 1656

n = 584

n = 186

n = 886

0.001

low

617 (37.3)

186 (30.1)

54 (8.7)

377 (61.1)

 

intermediate

974 (58.8)

363 (37.3)

125 (12.8)

486 (49.9)

 

high

65 (3.9)

35 (53.8)

7 (10.7)

23 (35.4)

 

Diarrhoea episode <4 months before index travel5)

n = 2800

   

<0.001

 

347 (12.4)

172 (49.6)

42 (13.9)

133 (38.3)

 

Catering3)

n = 2323

n = 792

n = 252

n = 1279

 

Buffet meals

2190 (94.3)

742 (33.9)

234 (10.7)

1214 (55.4)

0.380

Private/family meals

982 (42.3)

374 (38.1)

91 (9.3)

517 (52.6)

0.001

Street vendors meals

882 (38.0)

310 (35.1)

98 (11.1)

474 (53.7)

0.389

Adherence to "cook it, boil it, peel it or forget it"

n = 2318

   

0.299

 

1428 (61.6)

477 (33.4)

160 (11.2)

791 (55.4)

 
  1. NOTE. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. NS, not significant. MD is medical doctor, TD travellers' diarrhoea.
  2. 1) Included mentioned subgroups and mild diarrhoea cases
  3. 2) chi square test. TD patients were compared to those with no diarrhoea abroad.
  4. 3) Multiple answers possible
  5. 4) Mainly antidepressive medication (n = 49)
  6. 5) Pre-existing FGID (Functional Gastrointestinal Disease) patients and subjects with diarrhoea unresolved or lasting ≥14 d within this diarrhoea episode <4 months before index travel were excluded as defined in the exclusion criteria
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BMC Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1471-2334

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