The metabolic syndrome among Danish seafarers: a follow-up study

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.

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“…The metabolic syndrome has been shown to be frequent among Danish seafarers. In a survey, one in four had the syndrome [14].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Hansen

Canlas²

2019

International Maritime Health

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“…1). Finally, 10 articles met the inclusion criteria in the review [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

Section: Study Selection Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Main focus of 6 studies was educational interventions including stress management [13], healthy eating [14], anti-smoking and anti-drinking sessions [10,11], sexual behavior program [15], and advice about preventive strategies [16]. Of these 6 studies, four were conducted on multi-component interventions [10,11,15,16]. Practical interventions including micro-nutrient supplementation [17,18], exercise test [19], and pharmacotherapy [12] were implemented in the four studies.…”

Section: Study Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lifestyle interventions in the maritime settings: a systematic review

Baygi

Djalalinia

Qorbani

et al. 2020

Environ Health Prev Med

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Background: Evidence on workplace health promotion interventions at sea is scattered and includes different methodological approaches. The continued focus on lifestyle and health promotion on land-based industries makes it pertinent to evaluate available data from maritime settings to gain systematic knowledge on the field. Methods: In this systematic review, we systematically searched PubMed and NLM Gateway (for MEDLINE), Institute of Scientific Information/Web of Science (ISI/WOS), and SCOPUS up to January 2019 using standard keywords including lifestyle interventions in the maritime setting. Two independent reviewers assessed papers and extracted the data. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Due to significant heterogeneity between studies, the effectiveness of interventions was presented as a qualitative synthesis. Results: After the initial search and refinement based on a total of 4432 records, ten articles met eligibility criteria and were included in the final review. Six studies originated from US maritime settings, 3 studies were conducted on Danish seafarers and one study came from Finland. The main focus of 6 studies was educational interventions including stress management, healthy eating, anti-smoking and anti-drinking sessions, sexual behavior program, and advice about preventive strategies. Four studies described the implementation of interventions, including micro-nutrient supplementation, physical activity, and pharmacotherapy. Follow-up assessments occurred over a time period ranging from 80 days to 2 years. Three studies found a positive though limited effect of structural and/ or education interventions in maritime settings. The quality of all included studies was modest. Conclusion: Results of this systematic review show that a limited number of studies of lifestyle interventions in the maritime setting exist and that the quality of them is generally modest. Also, most of the interventions identified have failed to demonstrate substantial health benefits for seafarers. Systematic review registration number in PROSPERO: CRD42019134533

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“…In Denmark, training on maritime medicine is lacking, and doctors seeking more knowledge about maritime medicine must travel to other neighboring countries, mainly Norway. 9 In Denmark, maritime doctors are GPs appointed by the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) to provide preemployment and periodic health examinations to seagoing personnel. 10 Further training in maritime medicine is not provided in the country.…”

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confidence: 99%

Perceived Training Needs of Maritime Doctors and General Practitioners

Jensen

Charalambous

Andrioti

2018

Int J Travel Med Glob Health

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Introduction: Medical practitioners provide pre-employment examinations and periodic health examinations to seafarers, fishermen, offshore employees, and maritime students to ensure that they are fit for work. So far, very little is known about doctors’ perceptions of their professional training needs and expectations. The objective of this study was to gain insight on (a) the breadth of services offered, (b) follow-up practices, and (c) perceived training needs on aspects of maritime medicine. Methods: All maritime doctors (110) recognized by the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) and 100 general practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate. A questionnaire was sent out electronically to gather information on the demographics, breadth of services, follow-up practices, and perceived training needs of the participants. Descriptive statistics described the characteristics of the 2 groups. Results: The training priorities of maritime doctors were rules and regulations (68.7%) followed by working conditions and health risks aboard ship (62.8%). The self-rated training priorities of the GPs were working conditions and health risks aboard ship (44.1%), occupational disease diagnostics, prevention, and follow-up (41.1%), and health and safety at work (38.2%). Conclusion: Members of both medical disciplines were in favor of flexible and accredited training. More specifically, GPs considered a course in occupational risks, diseases, and follow up targeting high-risk professions very important. Maritime doctors suggested the establishment of a website as a one-stop shop for relevant guidelines and information. The small size of the GPs sample prevented a more in-depth gap analysis; however, the results could be used to help the respective authorities establish relevant training programs.

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The metabolic syndrome among Danish seafarers: a follow-up study

Cited by 10 publications

References 25 publications

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

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

Lifestyle interventions in the maritime settings: a systematic review

Perceived Training Needs of Maritime Doctors and General Practitioners

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