"Injury, illness, and work restriction in merchant seafarers".
BACKGROUND
Research on seafarer medical conditions at sea is limited. This study describes the frequency and distribution of seafarer injury and illness at sea, and explores potential risk factors for resultant lost work.


METHODS
The study analyzed a telemedicine database of 3,921 seafarer medical cases between 2008 and 2011 using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.


RESULTS
There were over twice as many illness cases (n = 2,764, 70.5%) as injury (n = 1,157, 29.5%) cases. Disability was more often secondary to illness (n = 646, 54.3%), predominantly from gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and respiratory conditions. Logistic regression revealed age, rank, and worksite as potential risk factors for lost work.


CONCLUSIONS
This study emphasizes illness as a significant problem occurring in seafarers at sea. Future research should further elucidate risk factors for illness, as well as injury, to inform preventive measures and reduce seafarer disability.
Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Rafael Y
RY
Lefkowitz
Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Martin D
MD
Slade
Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Carrie A
CA
Redlich
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003132:Commerce; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009326:Naval Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012307:Risk Factors; D012767:Ships; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult
disability; epidemiology; occupational injury; seafarers; telemedicine