Background: Seafarers are exposed to a variety of job-specific physical and psychosocial stressors. Health promotion on board is of great importance for the salutogenesis of this occupational group. Due to the difficult accessibility of seafarers, electronically supported health management can be highly valuable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study analyses the technical requirements as well as the user behaviour of seafarers for an app-based health prevention, including apps for wellness, prevention, fitness, medical care and mental well-being. In a maritime field study 976 seafarers on 65 merchant ships participated in the survey carried out with a questionnaire. The vast majority (98.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Seafarers' diets are often high in fat, sugar and calories, thus contributing to an increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. The multitude of obstacles to healthy eating in the on-board environment on merchant ships makes it essential to find new approaches for health promotion. This study explored seafarers' attitudes, the status quo of support measures and chances to improve nutrition on merchant ships from the perspective of crews and cooks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNumerous health hazards characterize the profession of a seafarer. The job-specific environment may affect the crews' well-being and mental health. The options for health promotion are limited, as seafarers are isolated for long periods and are a difficult-to-reach collective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In the event of emergency response to large-scale incidents, such as a mass casualty incident (MCI) or a mass casualty incident-infectious disease (MCI-ID), regular training is essential in order to have experienced emergency personnel available in the event of an incident. Due to the pandemic drills often had to be cancelled or were only possible with small groups of people. It was often not possible to simulate a large-scale emergency with actors, so that the trainees could not be offered realistic scenarios of a mass casualty or disease incident.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs seafarers are assumed to have an increased risk profile for sleep-related breathing disorders, this cross-sectional observational study measured (a) the feasibility and quality of polysomnography (PSG) on board merchant ships, (b) sleep macro- and microarchitecture, (c) sleep-related breathing disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and (d) subjective and objective sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and pupillometry. Measurements were carried out on two container ships and a bulk carrier. A total of 19 out of 73 male seafarers participated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
December 2021
Since seafarers are known to be exposed to numerous job-related stress factors that can cause fatigue, sleepiness, and disturbed sleep behaviour, the aim of this review was to provide an overview of the subjective and objective measurement methods of these strains. Using a systematic review, 166 studies were identified within the period of January 2010 to December 2020 using the PubMed database. Of the 21 studies selected, 13 used both subjective and objective measurement methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Food choices on board merchant ships are limited and seafarers repeatedly described as being at high risk of developing overweight compared to the general population. Up to date, research has not distinguished whether seafarers gain weight on board or at home and whether eating habits differ in both settings.
Methods: As part of the e-healthy ship project, cross-sectional data were collected in two different measurements.
Background: The project "ARMIHN" (Adaptive Resiliency Management in Port) focuses on strengthening the capability to act in a mass casualty incident (MCI) due to an outbreak of infectious diseases (MCI-ID). In addition to the current threat from the COVID-19 pandemic and associated outbreaks on cruise ships, previous MCI-ID were especially caused by pathogens such as Influenza virus or Norovirus. The first step was, to get an overview of processes and resources using the example of the Port of Hamburg, and to show the associated interaction of involved parties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZentralbl Arbeitsmed Arbeitsschutz Ergon
August 2021
Background: A pandemic is a particular medical challenge for seafarers traveling without a physician on board. At the same time the global fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has to rely on resilient merchant shipping in order to maintain the flow of goods. For infection prevention and management on board, those responsible need a portfolio of protective measures that can be used on ships.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
May 2021
Long and irregular shifts, unforeseeable operations and high responsibility are still prominent in the job of a pilot and pose high psycho-physical demands. Furthermore, there is a disturbed work-family balance. Working hours of pilots are highly variable and not bound by regulations due to irregularities of vessel traffic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFShrub encroachment has far-reaching ecological and economic consequences in many ecosystems worldwide. Yet, compositional changes associated with shrub encroachment are often overlooked despite having important effects on ecosystem functioning.We document the compositional change and potential drivers for a northern Namibian woodland transitioning into a shrubland.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF