Injury, illness, and disability risk in American seafarers

Background

Seafarers are an understudied and essential workforce, isolated from medical care. This study describes injuries, illness, and risk factors for resultant disability in one shipping company with a majority of American seafarers.

Methods

The study used a telemedicine database of injury and illness incidence in seafarers, and applied descriptive statistical methods and logistic regression modeling.

Results

Illnesses were more frequently reported than injuries (860 vs 479). The overall injury rate was 113 per 1000 person-years, and the overall illness rate was 211 per 1000 person-years. Seafarer ratings had higher risk for disability compared to officers (OR = 1.60; 95%CI 1.17, 2.18), and incidents on dry cargo ships (OR = 2.70; 95%CI 1.49, 4.91) and articulated tug-barges (ATBs) (OR = 2.21; 95%CI 1.26, 3.86) had higher disability risk compared to container vessels.

Conclusion

Additional research in this vital American workforce may be useful to confirm these findings forming a basis for preventive interventions.

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