Abstract
PurposeToday, measures to economise in the operation of ships can cause either an effort–reward imbalance or health impairments. The goal of this study was to assess the risk of effort–reward imbalance including overcommitment among officers and ratings on merchant vessels during their assignments and to evaluate lifestyle factors of seafarers as well as the health-promoting conditions on board.MethodsA study sample of 308 male seafarers was examined during a total of 20 sea voyages on German container ships (participation rate 91.9%).ResultsOnly 11 seafarers were identified as having an increased health risk of an effort–reward imbalance (ER ratio > 1). Officers tended to have a higher risk of an elevated ratio than ratings (4.4% vs. 3.1%) and also showed a significantly higher risk of an ER ratio above the median (58.8% vs. 41.8%; p = 0.022). Compared to land-based populations, the average overcommitment score of seafarers was high (17.9)—particularly among officers (20.3 vs. 16.5; p = 0.031). This corresponded to an elevated risk of overcommitment among officers compared to ratings (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.78–2.37). This elevated risk remained significant after adjustment for age (OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.76–2.35) and job-related stressors.ConclusionAlthough an elevated risk of effort–reward imbalance was only observed in few seafarers, this study revealed a high prevalence of overcommitment particularly among officers. In the course of time, overcommitment can lead to mental exhaustion. Therefore, shipboard health-promoting conditions need to be optimised.
Highlights
It is well-known that maritime occupations include a high level of psychophysical strain (Carotenuto et al 2012; Jespen et al 2015)
The calculated effort score of the Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire was distinctly lower than its median for the total study sample, suggesting that most seafarers regarded their job as not very stressful
It must be considered that officers have a significantly shorter stay on board compared to ratings; this may explain why they have relatively low effort scores
Summary
It is well-known that maritime occupations include a high level of psychophysical strain (Carotenuto et al 2012; Jespen et al 2015) This can lead to psychosomatic diseases including burnout syndrome or fatigue (Oldenburg et al 2013a; Sargent et al 2017). The higher than average age of seafarers, smoking and nutrition habits, their lack of exercise and a high stress burden on board lead to a wide variety of cardiovascular risk factors (Oldenburg et al 2013b; Baygi et al 2017) Some of these factors are a result of the combination of working and living on board (Hansen et al 2005; Apostolatos et al 2017); for example, the quite often unbalanced and high-fat diet provided, together with a reduction of leisure opportunities and too little exercise (Oldenburg et al 2009; Zyriax et al 2018). Specificities of food catering on board, leisure opportunities and health
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
