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Vol 69, No 4 (2018)
Review article
Submitted: 2018-12-05
Accepted: 2018-12-10
Published online: 2018-12-20
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The older traveller

Marcin Woś1, Krzysztof Korzeniewski2
DOI: 10.5603/IMH.2018.0045
·
Pubmed: 30589069
·
IMH 2018;69(4):285-296.
Affiliations
  1. Students’ Scientific Circle of Travel Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
  2. Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine; Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland

open access

Vol 69, No 4 (2018)
TROPICAL MEDICINE Review article
Submitted: 2018-12-05
Accepted: 2018-12-10
Published online: 2018-12-20

Abstract

All over the world there has been a sudden increase in the number of international travels, mostly for
touristic purposes. According to the World Tourism Organisation, the number of international journeys
exceeded 1.323 billion in 2017 and it continues to grow. Of the growing number of travellers more and
more are the elderly (> 65 years), this fact can be attributed to longer life expectancy and a better quality of
life, especially in the developed countries. The article lists the main destinations chosen by senior tourists
and their reasons for travel, it also discusses physiological changes in organs and systems affecting the
elderly, which are the result of travelling across time zones and to areas with different environment. The
article looks at various groups of patients affected by chronic diseases and examines health-related consequences
of travel, including the most common complications. The general health prevention measures,
with emphasis on vaccinations and antimalarial chemoprophylaxis, have also been discussed.

Abstract

All over the world there has been a sudden increase in the number of international travels, mostly for
touristic purposes. According to the World Tourism Organisation, the number of international journeys
exceeded 1.323 billion in 2017 and it continues to grow. Of the growing number of travellers more and
more are the elderly (> 65 years), this fact can be attributed to longer life expectancy and a better quality of
life, especially in the developed countries. The article lists the main destinations chosen by senior tourists
and their reasons for travel, it also discusses physiological changes in organs and systems affecting the
elderly, which are the result of travelling across time zones and to areas with different environment. The
article looks at various groups of patients affected by chronic diseases and examines health-related consequences
of travel, including the most common complications. The general health prevention measures,
with emphasis on vaccinations and antimalarial chemoprophylaxis, have also been discussed.

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Keywords

older traveller; travel-related disease; health prevention

About this article
Title

The older traveller

Journal

International Maritime Health

Issue

Vol 69, No 4 (2018)

Article type

Review article

Pages

285-296

Published online

2018-12-20

Page views

2312

Article views/downloads

1805

DOI

10.5603/IMH.2018.0045

Pubmed

30589069

Bibliographic record

IMH 2018;69(4):285-296.

Keywords

older traveller
travel-related disease
health prevention

Authors

Marcin Woś
Krzysztof Korzeniewski

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