Travel Abroad Research Articles

Dietary habits, traveling and the living situation potentially influence the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection: results from healthcare workers participating in the RisCoin Study

PurposeTo explore occupational and non-occupational risk and protective factors for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in healthcare workers (HCWs).MethodsSerum specimens and questionnaire data were obtained between October 7 and December 16, 2021 from COVID-19-vaccinated HCWs at a quaternary care hospital in Munich, Germany, and were analyzed in the RisCoin Study.ResultsOf 3,696 participants evaluated, 6.6% have had COVID-19 at least once. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified working in patient care occupations (7.3% had COVID-19, 95% CI 6.4–8.3, Pr = 0.0002), especially as nurses, to be a potential occupation-related COVID-19 risk factor. Non-occupational factors significantly associated with high rates of the disease were contacts to COVID-19 cases in the community (12.8% had COVID-19, 95% CI 10.3–15.8, Pr < 0.0001), being obese (9.9% had COVID-19, 95% CI 7.1–13.5, Pr = 0.0014), and frequent traveling abroad (9.4% had COVID-19, 95% CI 7.1–12.3, Pr = 0.0088). On the contrary, receiving the basic COVID-19 immunization early during the pandemic (5.9% had COVID-19, 95% CI 5.1–6.8, Pr < 0.0001), regular smoking (3.6% had COVID-19, 95% CI 2.1–6.0, Pr = 0.0088), living with the elderly (3.0% had COVID-19, 95% CI 1.0–8.0, Pr = 0.0475), and frequent consumption of ready-to-eat meals (2.6% had COVID-19, 95% CI 1.1–5.4, Pr = 0.0045) were non-occupational factors potentially protecting study participants against COVID-19.ConclusionThe newly discovered associations between the living situation, traveling as well as dietary habits and altered COVID-19 risk can potentially help refine containment measures and, furthermore, contribute to new mechanistic insights that may aid the protection of risk groups and vulnerable individuals.

Ocular complications of a rare viral infection

Sarah Arnold describes a rare patient case of ocular complications following travel abroad

Surviving stomach bugs in UK ethnic groups: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe exposure patterns across ethnic groups are unclear for stomach bugs that cause self-limiting symptoms, significantly burdening UK health-care services and the economy. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring how inequalities arise in managing stomach bugs in UK ethnic groups. MethodsA qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was undertaken. Ethics approval was given by the University of Liverpool, and data were collected by IZ over 11 months from July 26, 2022, and May 26, 2023. Purposive sampling was used to recruit a general UK population sample (excluding health-care professionals) who were adults, partners, and parents, from an ethnic minority group, with recent diarrhoea, vomiting, or a stomach bug over the past 6 months. Recruitment was conducted through community gatekeepers using flyers. Participants were interviewed in person or virtually and gave written informed consent. An incentive of an Amazon voucher of £10 was imbursed to participants for their time. Interviews were audio-recorded using a password-protected digital recorder, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings36 interviews (median age 31·5 years) were conducted with 11 women of Pakistani (n=6), Bangladeshi (n=2), Indian (n=2) and Arab ethnicity (n=1), and 25 men of Black (n=22), Pakistani (n=2), and Indian (n=1) ethnicity. This sample enabled an exploration of within-ethnic group experiences of stomach bugs in participants who self-defined their age, sex, and ethnicity. Themes such as managing food preparation (n=16), travel abroad (n=17), and personal cleanliness (n=3) were consistently reported across transcripts. The findings corroborate existing literature that there are more similarities than divergences in the management of stomach bugs across ethnic groups, such as the burden of care disproportionately affecting women and using over-the-counter medication to manage symptoms. InterpretationWe do not know if the impact of these experiences across ethnic groups is entirely representative of the broader ethnic categories (ie, Asian vs Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi) they belong to or if there are inequalities in their impact on ethnic groups living in different circumstances (ie, UK born vs migrant). FundingNational Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Intention to Visit Seoul: Factors Influencing Travel Abroad for Holidays

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between social media marketing activity and visit intention to Seoul, South Korea, among Indonesian travelers. A total of 246 questionnaires were distributed to respondents in Indonesia. Social media marketing activity represented the independent variable and was mediated by destination image, destination attitude, destination awareness, and perceived value. Visit intention represents the dependent variable. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is a statistical method used to analyze complex interrelationships between observed and latent variables. This finding indicates that the indirect impact of social media marketing activity on visit intention via the mediating factors of destination attitude and destination image is not statistically significant. The indirect effect of destination awareness and perceived value characteristics on social media marketing activity and visit intention is favorable and statistically significant. This is the first paper to investigate the relationship between social media marketing activity and visit intention in Seoul among Indonesian travelers. Moreover, this is a relatively new issue that remains largely undiscovered by researchers worldwide. This paper will help to emphasize its importance and implications for business decisions.

A Study on the Intention of Shanghai Residents to Travel Abroad in the Post-Pandemic Era Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

This study has adopted the theory of planned behavior as a framework to examine the relationship among subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived policy orientation, perceived pandemic response capabilities, attitudes, and behavioral intentions towards outbound travel in a post-pandemic society. Specifically, a total of 895 valid questionnaires were employed to test the 9 hypotheses proposed in this study. The results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis show that subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and perceived policy orientation positively impact residents’ intention to travel abroad. Furthermore, attitude partially mediates the relationship between subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived policy orientation, and residents’ intention to travel abroad. However, the study indicates that the impact of perceived pandemic response capabilities on residents’ intention to travel abroad is not significant. This study’s conclusions emphasize that external policy factors can significantly influence tourists’ intention to travel abroad, contributing to the theoretical research on consumer outbound tourism behavior. Moreover, the study provides important implications for the policy formulation of outbound tourism enterprises and destination governments.

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli as etiological agent of endemic diarrhea in Spain: A prospective multicenter prevalence study with molecular characterization of isolates.

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is increasingly associated with domestically acquired diarrheal episodes in high-income countries, particularly among children. However, its specific role in endemic diarrhea in this setting remains under-recognized and information on molecular characteristics of such EAEC strains is limited. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of EAEC in patients with non-travel related diarrhea in Spain and molecularly characterize EAEC strains associated with illness acquired in this high-income setting. In a prospective multicenter study, stool samples from diarrheal patients with no history of recent travel abroad (n = 1,769) were collected and processed for detection of EAEC and other diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) pathotypes by PCR. An additional case-control study was conducted among children ≤5 years old. Whole-genome sequences (WGS) of the resulting EAEC isolates were obtained. Detection of DEC in the study population. DEC was detected in 23.2% of patients aged from 0 to 102 years, with EAEC being one of the most prevalent pathotypes (7.8%) and found in significantly more patients ≤5 years old (9.8% vs. 3.4%, p < 0.001). Although not statistically significant, EAEC was more frequent in cases than in controls. WGS-derived characterization of EAEC isolates. Sequence type (ST) 34, ST200, ST40, and ST10 were the predominant STs. O126:H27, O111:H21, and O92:H33 were the predominant serogenotypes. Evidence of a known variant of aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF) was found in 89.2% of isolates, with AAF/V being the most frequent. Ten percent of isolates were additionally classified as presumptive extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), or both, and belonged to clonal lineages that could be specifically associated with extraintestinal infections. EAEC was the only bacterial enteric pathogen detected in a significant proportion of cases of endemic diarrhea in Spain, especially in children ≤5 years old. In particular, O126:H27-ST200, O111:H21-ST40, and O92:H33-ST34 were the most important subtypes, with all of them infecting both patients and asymptomatic individuals. Apart from this role as an enteric pathogen, a subset of these domestically acquired EAEC strains revealed an additional urinary/systemic pathogenic potential.

We Would Not Eat Dog Meat Considering Their Well-Being and the Environmental Benefits, at Home or Traveling Abroad

This study examined Vietnamese young people’s intentions to eat and recommend eating dog meat while staying in Vietnam and when traveling in Korea, taking into account the impacts of three egoistic values (functional, hedonic, and symbolic), three altruistic values (animal-, environment-, and society-oriented), and five sociodemographic and personality variables (biological sex, original place of residence, parents’ education and income, and masculinity–femininity). This study developed a structured questionnaire based on the existing literature. It then administered the questionnaire to a sample of university students in Hanoi, Vietnam. A sample of 249 responses was aggregated. The outcomes revealed the significant contributions of two altruistic values of animal- and environment-oriented and one sociodemographic factor of the place of residence (i.e., urban vs. rural). However, the intentions were weak in both scenarios: Vietnam and Korea. This study discussed the implications of these outcomes with future social marketing campaigns aiming at reducing irregular meat consumption. This study examined all perceived values and consumer behavior domains, especially for irregular meat consumption. It helped reveal relative contribution of each value domain to consumers’ behavior in their daily lives and during their holidays. The findings indicate that the potential changes in the sociocultural environments via international tourism might not impact young people’s intention toward consuming irregular meat. Keywords: dog meat, Vietnam, Korea, altruistic values, egoistic values. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.60.88

In the COVID-19 Era, When and Where Will You Travel Abroad? Prediction through Application of PPM Model

This study aimed to derive tourism motives and constraint factors that have changed or are newly applicable after COVID-19, and to identify the influencing relationships between these factors and complex aspects of tourism behavior intentions. For this purpose, the Push-Pull-Mooring model was used. To achieve the purpose of this study, prior literature and empirical studies were used to derive the primary measurement items through the primarily derived PPM model-based factors, and an online questionnaire survey was conducted with consumers who had had experience of overseas travel within the past two years. In total, 322 copies of the questionnaire were used for analysis. Through factor analyses, five push factors, four pull factors, and four mooring factors were derived. To understand tourism behavior intentions, each of the travel resumption times, preferred destination types, and preferred accommodation types were divided into three to conduct multinomial logistic regression analysis. The influence relationships between variables were verified to identify the changes in tourism behavior intentions caused by COVID-19, and the results indicated that some items of the PPM factors had significant influencing relationships with travel resumption times and preferred accommodation types. The preferred destination types were found to have significant influencing relationships with some items of the push/pull factors that were not found to have any influencing relationships with the mooring factors. This study is meaningful in that it presented motives and constraint factors for tourism behaviors from a new perspective based on changes in the tourism environment due to COVID-19, and the application of the PPM model and travel behavior is expected to be applied to diverse tourist behavior studies hereafter to achieve theoretical extensions.

Genesis of legal regulation of legal responsibility for illegal cross- ing of the state border under the legislation acted by Ukraine

In a scientific article, the authors conducted a scientific study of the development of legal regulation of legal liability for illegal crossing of the state border under the legislation in force in the Ukrainian lands. Based on the study, the authors concluded that the first mention of violations of the order of entry into and exit from Ukraine occurs in “Russian Truth”, which, however, did not provide legal liability for illegal crossing of the state border by persons who were not slaves or slaves (the latter were responsible not for illegal crossing, but for fleeing from the owner). There was no legal responsibility for the illegal crossing of the state border in the Polish-Lithuanian and Cossack periods of Ukrainian history. Criminal liability for unauthorized travel abroad was introduced in parts of the Ukrainian lands in connection with the adoption of the Conciliar Act of 1649. In the later period, from 1723, criminal liability in the Ukrainian lands that were part of the Russian Empire was provided for illegal crossing of the state border for treason or other malicious intent, and in other cases illegal crossing of the border was an administrative offense. After the adoption in Russia of the Code of Criminal and Correctional Punishment in 1845, illegal crossing of the state border ceased to be an administrative offense and began to provide only criminal liability. Illegal crossing of the state border remained a crime under the legislation in force in Ukraine, regardless of the purpose of crossing, until 2004. In the period from 2004 to 2018, those guilty of illegally crossing the state border were solely administratively liable, but currently crossing the state border of Ukraine in order to harm the interests of the state or a person banned from entering Ukraine, or representatives of armed units forces or other law enforcement agencies of the aggressor state in any way outside the checkpoints across the state border of Ukraine or at checkpoints across the state border of Ukraine without relevant documents, or on documents containing inaccurate information again criminalized.

The Effects of Media Encouragements on Coronavirus Vaccination Decision and Public Interest in Traveling Abroad

A lack of knowledge exists about individuals’ vaccination decisions and their relation to their tourism behaviors. In this regard, this study examines the willingness of international travelers to take a COVID-19 vaccine prior to traveling. A quantitative research design with a survey method and the ordinary least square (OLS) multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The media encouragement positively affected the travelers’ attitude toward the behavior and their injunctive social norm, whereas the travelers’ attitude toward the behavior and injunctive social norm positively affected their COVID-19 vaccination intention. The regression results also proved the mediating effect of both attitudes toward the behavior and injunctive social norm in the relationship between media encouragement and COVID-19 vaccination intention. This research successfully provided evidence regarding the role of media encouragement in travelers’ willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccination.

Characteristics of Patients at a Rural Japanese Hospital after Traveling Abroad : A Retrospective Observational Study

Characteristics of Patients at a Rural Japanese Hospital after Traveling Abroad : A Retrospective Observational Study

Factors impacting Jordanian women in computing case study: Hashemite University

&lt;p&gt;We consider pursuing the Jordanian women their graduate studies in Information Technology disciplines as an indicator of socio-economic development and empowering women in Jordan. This paper presents the first study of multi-variate stereotypes that shape the problem by addressing the following factors: travel abroad, family matters, skills and experience, traditional and cultural differences, scholarship opportunities, financial matters, and language complications. These factors were extensively studied, and their effects were estimated by applying the linear-regression, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffe tests. The scholarship opportunity (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0:354), travel abroad (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0:281), and financial matters (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0:226) were the most influential factors on Jordanian women’s decision in pursuing their graduate studies. On the other hand, skills and experience stereotype (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0:076) has the least influence.&lt;/p&gt;

Guest Editorial: Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield, 1851–1921

This Year 2021 Marks The Centenary Of The Death Of The Theologian Benjamin B.Warfield. He Was A Son Of The Southern Presbyterian Church. John Meeter Summarizes Warfield’s Life As Follows: Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield Was Born Into A Godly Presbyterian Home At “Grasmere,” Near Lexington, Kentucky, November 5th, 1851. When Only Nineteen Years Of Age He Was Graduated From What Is Now Princeton University, With The Highest Honor Of His Class. After Two Years Of Further Study And Travel Abroad He Entered Princeton Seminary, Graduating In The Class Of 1876. In 1878 He Was Appointed Instructor, And In 1879 Installed As Professor Of New Testament Exegesis And Literature At Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny. In 1887 He Received And Accepted, The Appointment To The Charles Hodge Chair Of Didactic And Polemic Theology At Princeton Seminary; And For Thirty-three Years, From 1887 To The Time Of His Death In 1921, He Served Princeton Seminary And The Presbyterian Church U. S. A. In The Chair Made Famous By The Alexander-Hodge Succession. KEYWORDS:

Why Do Canadians Travel Abroad for Cosmetic Surgery? A Qualitative Analysis on Motivations for Cosmetic Surgery Tourism.

Background: Canadians are increasingly engaging in medial tourism. The purpose of this study was to review Canadians’ experiences with travelling abroad for cosmetic surgery, including primary motivations for seeking care outside of Canada. Methods: A qualitative analysis was conducted using semistructured interviews following a pre-determined topic guide. People who had undergone cosmetic surgery outside of Canada were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and coded to determine motivational themes. Patients were recruited until thematic saturation was achieved. Results: Thematic saturation was achieved after recruitment of 11 patients. The most common motivational themes identified in this study for seeking cosmetic surgery outside of Canada included cost, post-operative care provided, marketing/customer service, and word-of-mouth. Member checking and theory triangulation were validation techniques used to verify identified themes. Mexico was the most common location for cosmetic tourism. The most common procedures were breast augmentation, mastopexy, and abdominoplasty. Participants gathered pre- and post-operative information primarily through pamphlets and contact with surgeons’ offices. Follow-up was only available for half of the participants in this study, and only 5 of the participants felt that they had received informed consent. Conclusions: The majority of participants engaged in cosmetic tourism due to cost reasons and the level of post-operative care provided.

Travel Abroad for Face Gaining or Face Saving? A Comparison Between Chinese Gen Y Male and Female Tourists in a Context of Chinese Culture

“Face” is considered one of the most important cultural values in China, but there is insufficient research discussing the effect of “face” on outbound travel behaviors among Chinese Gen Y tourists. Most of the previous studies have oversimplified “face” as a uni-dimensional concept in tourism. However, the relevant literature suggests that an individual may behave differently when s/he is concerned about gaining “face” or losing “face.” Furthermore, gender plays an important role in influencing travel behaviors in China. Therefore, this research establishes a conceptual framework based on “face” and TPB to explore whether Chinese Gen Y travel abroad for face gaining or face saving, and compares the influence of “face” across gender. By analyzing data from 155 males and 195 females, it is found that there are significant differences in relation to the effect of “face” on outbound travel intention across gender. Chinese Gen Y females travel abroad mainly to gain “face,” and their male counterparts travel abroad mainly to avoid losing “face.” The gender-based differences reaffirms that Chinese society has different evaluation criteria for men and women, and their travel behaviors consequently are shaped by gender norms. This study facilitates our understanding of Chinese Gen Y tourists and China’s outbound tourism market from both Chinese and Western epistemologies. Then, practical implications and limitations are discussed accordingly.

In Search of Collective Identity. The Formation of National Consciousness in Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz’s Travels Abroad

In Search of Collective Identity. The Formation of National Consciousness in Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz’s Travels Abroad

ВПЛИВ ПАНДЕМІЇ COVID-19 НА СВІТОВУ ЕКОНОМІКУ

The phenomenon of economic crisis, of course, is unpleasant and has a destructive effect on the economic and social life of society. The article describes the causes and consequences of the major crises of the world economy of the XIX–XXI centuries. Among the most common causes of economic downturns is the excess of investment or consumption in one or more sectors of the economy. At the same time, the consequences of these economic downturns were the advanced development of industry and a new round of machine invention in the XIX century, the failure of the gold and currency standard in the XX century and the reorientation of financial flows from speculative assets to others, including raw materials and energy in the nineteenth century. The new global crisis unfolds new challenges for the world community and the search for new ways out of it. The current pandemic has been marked by a particularly rapid and large-scale decline in demand and oil prices as a result of the sudden cessation of economic activity. Demand and prices for other goods show a smaller decline, as they are less affected by quarantine measures. However, as the pandemic continues and the economic downturn deepens, it is also possible to reduce demand and prices for metals. The impact of the 2020 economic downturn on the economy may persist for a long time. The deepening crisis may reduce the demand for industrial goods. The global financial crisis of 2020, caused by the outbreak of influenza COVID-19 may lead to long-term changes in global commodity markets. Increased transportation costs. Opportunities for the national producer. Growth of substitution among goods. Changing consumer behavior. After, a large number of workers can continue to work remotely, which can reduce transportation costs and demand for fuel. Businesses can cut back on travel abroad and use video conferencing and other remote alternatives. As a result, environmental pollution will be reduce. Further changes in society's behavior may lead to a shift in the structure of demand for goods. Increasing teleworking can reduce the demand for travel and oil. Reducing oil consumption will also provide environmental benefits.

This Moment is the Curriculum: Equity, Inclusion, and Collectivist Critical Curriculum Mapping for Study Abroad Programs in the COVID-19 Era

Background: This article explores critical curriculum mapping in experiential education through immersive travel or Study Abroad Programs (SAPs). Purpose: The tetrad of authors theorizes then models the practice of criticality in curriculum mapping for SAPs. Methodology/Approach: Using Black feminist thought as a theoretical moor and dialogue and reflexive narrative as methods, authors present a curriculum mapping framework that is berthed to collective knowledge of how Black women in the African diaspora make meaning of lived experience to survive a perpetually precarious world. Findings/Conclusions: The framework exemplifies an epistemological alternative to dominant individualistic Euro/American approaches to curriculum mapping. Such approaches privilege predictability and linearity, contributing to the low participation of collectivist-oriented Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in SAPs. Implications: A collectivist critical orientation to curriculum mapping may, therefore, be useful for (a) epistemologically diversifying curricular responsiveness (with implications for teaching and learning in the unpredictable chaos of the current COVID-19 moment) and (b) addressing enduring issues of equity and inclusion in SAPs.

Aviation transport development trends in Ukraine

The paper substantiates the number of passenger flows by different modes of transport for the last 40 years and analyzes passenger flows by Ukrainian airlines. The share of different types of transport in the total volume of passenger traffic during the years of independence of Ukraine is compared, and the corresponding conclusions concerning tendencies of development of air transport in Ukraine are made. It has been proven that high-income passengers remain the main type of passengers on domestic routes. Further growth in demand will depend on the growth of the country's economy, airline tariff policy, frequency of flights and ease of connections. The significant growth of passenger traffic in the international connection is partly explained by the trends that began in 1990. Following Ukraine's declaration of independence, imports of imported goods have increased significantly and demand for travel abroad has grown significantly. It should also be noted that the transport infrastructure of Ukraine allows to reach any point of the country using terrestrial modes of transport, which are significantly cheaper than aviation. It is no wonder, therefore, that most domestic airlines are focused on international transportation. Considerable potential for the development of international flights lies directly in the geographical location of the country, which is capable of providing high transit passenger traffic. Analyzing the work of Central European airports, it should be noted that Ukraine was the leader in the growth of passenger traffic. Airports of Ukraine served 10.7 mln passengers in six months, which is 20 % more than in the same period last year. In terms of passengers number carried, Ukraine came second after Poland – 22.3 mln passengers. Romania is in third place with 10.5 mln passengers.

Risk factors for sporadic giardiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Giardia duodenalis is an important source of gastroenteritis worldwide. Endemic cases have been described in developing and industrialized countries. We analyzed risk factors for sporadic giardiasis by a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the literature. From 72 studies, contact with an infected person, lack of personal hygiene, and attending a child daycare center were identified as risk factors in children and adults.Feco-oral transmission was significantly associated with exposure to human sewage/waste water, untreated drinking water and recreational waters. Travel abroad was a risk factor in industrialized countries. No handwashing before eating or preparing food, eating unwashed vegetables, or composite food were significant risk factors. Breastfeeding was a protective factor in developing countries. Interestingly, contact with pets was found as a significant risk factor in children in this meta-analysis. This could be explored in future studies with the comparison of the Giardia assemblage isolated from humans and pets. In the future, it would be interesting to investigate more precisely the type of water, vegetable, and whenever possible the method of preparation/treatment. Environmental and epidemiological investigations of specific risk factors by assemblages and types of Giardia spp. should be further studied. Finally, host factors in relationship with the severity and sequelae of giardiasis deserve future research.