Abstract
BackgroundOverweight and obesity is quite prevalent among seafarers. The present study examined differences in BMI and their association with weight, shape and nutrition related attitudes and perceptions among seafarer from Kiribati, a Pacific Island Group, and European origin.MethodsThe Seafarer Nutrition Study compared 48 Kiribati and 33 European male seafarers from 4 commercial merchant ships. BMI was calculated from measured weight and height. Attitudes to weight, shape and nutrition and disinhibition of control as a characteristic of eating behavior were assessed in a structured interview. Differences between the two groups were examined using t-tests and Chi-square-tests as appropriate. Associations between the variables were examined using Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) and correlations.ResultsKiribati seafarer had significantly higher BMI than Europeans (30.3 ± 4.2 vs. 25.6 ± 3.4; p < 0.001). However, MRA indicated that Kiribati were choosing thinner shapes as being “most similar” to their appearance than Europeans with the same BMI (B = − 1.14; p < 0.05). In addition, Kiribati had significantly higher scores of disinhibition than Europeans (5.6 ± 2.2 vs. 4.3 ± 2.1; p < 0.01), and disinhibition correlated with BMI in the Kiribati (r = 0.39; p < 0.01), but not in the European group (r = 0.17; n.s.).ConclusionsFor Kiribati seafarers the nutrition situation on board represents a highly tempting westernized food environment. Their tendency to disinhibited eating facilitates overconsumption and weight gain, and self-evaluation of their shapes as being thinner than comparable Europeans may hamper appropriate weight control behavior.
Highlights
Overweight and obesity is quite prevalent among seafarers
Sample The 81 seafarers participating in this study came from four cargo vessels belonging to a shipping company with a large number of Kiribati crew members
We cannot exclude that some differences and associations which we interpreted as cultural differences are at least partially associated with genetic differences. Having these limitations in mind, our study suggests that men from Kiribati who hire as seamen on commercial merchant ships are more susceptible to overeating in response to environmental stimuli and perceive themselves as thinner than Europeans
Summary
The present study examined differences in BMI and their association with weight, shape and nutrition related attitudes and perceptions among seafarer from Kiribati, a Pacific Island Group, and European origin. Several studies have shown that overweight, obesity and cardio-metabolic risk factors are quite prevalent among seafarers [1,2,3,4,5]. There seem to be marked differences in the prevalence of obesity and associated risk factors between crew members with different cultural and/or ethnic background working on the same ships and in the same environment. A German shipping company reported that crew members from Kiribati, a Pacific island group, experience significant weight gain and possibly impaired cardio-vascular health (personal communication)
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