Basic differences in the health profile between seafarers from the Philippines and Denmark

Abstract

Background: Seafarers in international trade are today recruited worldwide based on qualifications and costs. Health is another aspect. In this study, two cohorts of seafarers from the Philippines and Denmark undergoing pre-employment health examinations were compared. The purpose is to investigate differences in the outcome of the examinations and compare basic parameters. Materials and methods: Two cohorts of equal number of seafarers from the Philippines and Denmark were established. A total of 9,654 consecutive health examinations at a large clinic in the Philippines were compared with a group with the same size examined in a number of clinics in Denmark. The Filipino seafarers were screened according to different company standards whereas the Danish seafarers were examined according to statutory standards. Results: The age structure was different. Only 18% of seafarers from the Philippines were 45 years of age or above whereas almost 43% of the Danish seafarers were in this age category. Obesity was frequent in both cohorts although depending on the standard used as reference. Extreme obesity (body mass index, above 35) was 10 times more frequent among the Danish seafarers. A total of 4.4% of the Filipino seafarers were declared unfit whereas only 0.5% were found unfit among the Danish seafarers. Among the latter, 5.2% were found fit with limitations, which is a category not used in the Philippines. Conclusions: The two groups are inhomogeneous and the health examinations the seafarers underwent differ. Comparisons should be done with caution. The difference in the age distribution of the two groups of seafarers is important factor due to the strong impact of age on health. Obesity was of major concern in both groups, although there were more with severe overweight and especially with extreme overweight among the Danish seafarers. Smoking frequency seems to be on the same level.

Infectious Risks on Different Types of Ships with Reference to the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Seafaring has always been a dangerous occupation, with infections and accidents being important health hazards (Hansen et al, 2019;Hansen et al, 2005;Hansen et al, 2002).…”

“…The pathology of seafarers (illnesses, disorders, accidents) is not completely identical for all countries or areas, since every community has its own epidemiological, social, cultural, economic and other determinants. Risk factors for illness and injury can be supposed with an understanding of the sociodemographic distribution of the full at-risk seafarer population (Hansen et al, 2019;Lefkowitz, 2013). important diseases in seafarer pathology.…”