title: Comparison of hospitalization among German coastal and deep sea fishermen.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to compare the hospitalization of German fishermen employed on German-flagged fishing vessels with that of the general German population in consideration of differences between coastal and deep sea fishery.
  
  
  METHODS
  By means of a database from the health insurance company for seafarers, diagnoses of German fishermen treated in German hospitals were determined from January 1997 to December 2007. Compared with the general German population, the fishermen's risk for specific diseases leading to hospitalization was calculated as standardized hospitalization ratio (SHR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the German reference population, German fishermen showed a considerably high SHR for malignant neoplasms at all sites (SHR 1.46; 95% CI 1.37-1.56), for respiratory cancer, and for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Furthermore, they had more often been hospitalized due to diabetes mellitus, diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems as well as due to injury and poisoning. The risk for respiratory cancer and NHL among coastal fishermen exceeded that of deep sea fishermen, whereas the latter displayed a considerably higher SHR for diabetes mellitus, diseases of the respiratory system and metabolic and nutritional disorders. In contrast, the SHR for hypertensive and ischemic heart diseases was decreased among deep sea fishermen. Less qualified deep sea fishermen displayed a considerably higher SHR for malignant neoplasms at all sites than more highly qualified ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fishery is still an occupation which poses a high risk for malignant neoplasms and injuries. This is likely due to lifestyle and work-related factors. Further studies are needed to evaluate the different working and living conditions of coastal and deep sea fishermen.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine, Hamburg State Department for Health and Consumer Protection, Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Seewartenstrasse 10, 20459, Hamburg, Germany, marcus.oldenburg@bgv.hamburg.de.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oldenburg
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Harth
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Manuwald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005398:Fisheries / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009792:Oceans and Seas / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012767:Ships; D055815:Young Adult