Multiple health-related behaviours among Fly-In Fly-Out workers in the mining industry in Australia: A cross-sectional survey during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background Fly-In-Fly-Out (FIFO) workers travel to work at isolated locations, and rotate continuous workdays with leave periods at home, and such work practice is common in the offshore oil and gas and onshore mining industry worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying public health actions appear to have had a negative impact on several health-related behaviours among the general population. However, little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health behaviours of FIFO workers, who have shown higher pre-pandemic rates of risky behaviours than the general population in Australia. This study examined the health-related behaviours of FIFO workers in the mining industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. FIFO workers from an Australian mining company who underwent COVID-19 screening between May and November 2020 completed an online survey about their regular health-related behaviours. The independent sample t-test and Pearson’s chi-square test where appropriate were conducted to examine the differences between males and females for the behavioural outcomes. Results A total of 768 FIFO workers (633 males and 135 females) participated in the study. Prevalence of smoking was high (32%). Males smoked more cigarettes per day than females (15.2±7.0 vs 13.1±7.1, p = .174). Most participants (74.7%) drank alcohol on more than two days per week. Compared to females, more males (20.2% vs 8.0%) consumed alcohol at short-term harmful levels (p = .010). About a third (34.4%) of the workers (33.5% of males and 38.5% of females, p = .264) engaged in inadequate moderate-vigorous exercises/physical activity. About a third (33.1%) of workers (33.7% of males and 30.4% of females; p = .699) had multiple risk behaviours. Conclusions Prevalence of multiple risk behaviours was high. Interventions aimed at the prevention of risky health-related behaviours should target the different behavioural patterns and may require emphasis on gender-informed techniques particularly when addressing alcohol consumption.

Managing multiple, geographically-separated identities, and its effect on employee retention

“…It is important to note that both external and individual contextual factors may interfere with an individual’s ability to align their home and work lives. For example, if working from home and increased childcaring responsibilities are blurring a partner’s home/work lines and increasing stress, this could impede the FIFO worker’s ability to frame FIFO as something that serves both of their “lives.” With regard to external factors, studies of FIFO during COVID-19 found increased psychological distress ( Gilbert et al, 2023 ) and high rates of negative health behaviors such as smoking and drinking ( Asare et al, 2022 ). Therefore, external factors may, for various reasons, make FIFO more (or less) difficult to balance.…”