Injury, Illness, and Mental Health Risks in United States Domestic Mariners.

Abstract

Describe health conditions and injury and illness rates in a population of United States mariners, an understudied workforce vital to economic security. In this survey study, mariner health data was collected and analyzed to provide injury and illness rates (including mental health conditions) and associated risk factors. In this mariner population of highly tenured vessel masters and pilots, hypertension, obesity, sleep disorders, smoking, alcohol consumption, and symptoms of depression and anxiety were common. BMI ≥35 was associated with increased likelihood of work injury (OR 5.7; 95%CI 1.01, 32.59). The mariners were in poor overall health, raising public health and safety concerns in this population of essential transportation workers. Follow-up studies including a wider distribution of domestic mariners (deck hands, engineers) would further characterize occupational risks.