Air Travelers' Experiences and Understanding of Jetlag and Perceptions of Management Strategies: A Qualitative Study.

Jetlag is largely self-managed by the individual traveler. This paper explores the lived experiences of air travelers, their understanding of jetlag, and their perceptions of management strategies. 32 international travelers (mean age= 31, SD: 15 years; 47% female, mean flight duration =16, SD: 6 hours) were interviewed. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the Framework Approach. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed three emergent themes: Travel Beliefs and Experiences, Impact of Jetlag, and Approaches to Jetlag Management. Participants' experience of jetlag was described in terms of the entire journey with no distinction made between circadian disruption and travel fatigue. Management strategies revolved around needs for comfort and avoiding fatigue, and were mostly guided by somatic symptom cues, prior travel experiences, or the experiential advice from others. Our findings highlight the need for traveler involvement in co-designing evidence-based interventions for jetlag to enhance their transferability into the real world.