title: Risk factors for merchant seafarer repatriation due to injury or illness at sea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Repatriation represents a serious outcome of illness or injury among seafarers at sea. The aim of this study was to describe repatriation patterns due to injury and illness in a seafarer cohort, and determine risk factors for repatriation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study analysed a telemedicine database of 3,921 seafarer injury and illness cases over a 4 year period using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 61 repatriations over the study period (1.6% of cases). Most repatriations were due to illness (38; 62.3%) as opposed to injury (23; 37.7%). Back injuries and gastrointestinal illness were the most frequent causes of repatriations. Using logistic regression, nationality was identified as a significant risk factor for repatriation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study emphasizes illness as a major cause of seafarer repatriation, and suggests opportunities for future studies to identify potentially modifiable risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, New Haven, CT, United States Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States. rafael.lefkowitz@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Rafael Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Lefkowitz
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: Carrie A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Redlich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012767:Ships; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult