Work demands and need for recovery from work in ageing seafarers

Using leisure crafting to reduce emotional exhaustion at home during the COVID-19 pandemic through better sleep and not thinking about the pandemic

Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, we aimed to investigate whether leisure crafting reduces emotional exhaustion by improving sleep quality and strengthening psychological detachment from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We posited that sleep quality and psychological detachment from the COVID-19 pandemic mediate the negative relationship between leisure crafting and emotional exhaustion. We carried out a two-wave longitudinal study among a group of individuals (N = 216) from Wuhan, China. We measured leisure crafting, sleep quality, and psychological detachment from the COVID-19 pandemic at Time 1 and emotional exhaustion two months later at Time 2. We discovered that leisure crafting reduced emotional exhaustion at home by improving sleep quality and increasing psychological detachment from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of this article, we discuss theoretical and practical implications, research limitations, and directions for future research.

Job stressors and burnout among clinical nurses: a moderated mediation model of need for recovery and career calling

BACKGROUND

Burnout is a major concern in healthcare professions. Although theory and empirical evidence support the relationship between job stressors and burnout, the question remains how and when the job stressors are related to burnout. Based on conservation of resources theory and effort recovery model, the current study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the effect of job stressors on burnout by investigating the mediating role of need for recovery and the moderating role of career calling.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 709 nurses enrolled from eight public hospitals in China. The Work Stressors Scale, Psychological Detachment Scale, Brief Calling Scale, and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to collect data. Hierarchical regression analysis with bootstrapping procedure was performed to test the proposed model.

RESULTS

The results showed that need for recovery mediated the job stressors-burnout relationship, and that high career calling buffered against the relationships between job stressors and need for recovery and burnout. Furthermore, the result revealed a moderated mediation model that career calling buffered the indirect effect of job stressors on burnout through need for recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that environmental demands and personal resource are important antecedents of nurses' burnout. Career calling as personal resources can serve as a protective factor that guards against burnout. Thus, nursing managers can reduce nurse burnout by focusing on effective strategies related to recovery experiences, as well as investing in training career calling.

Are Psychosocial Resources Buffering the Relation Between Physical Work Behaviors and Need for Recovery?

Objectives: We investigate whether job control and/or social support at work play a buffering role in the relation between various physical work behaviors and Need for Recovery (NFR) among employees with physically demanding jobs. Methods: Our findings are based on data from 332 workers. The Job Content Questionnaire was used to assess job control, social support and specific physically demanding tasks. General physical work behaviors were measured by two Axivity AX3 accelerometers. The NFR Scale (0-11) was used to assess NFR. We used multiple linear regression models. Results: Sitting at work turned out to be negatively associated with NFR, whereas physically demanding tasks were associated positively with NFR. Our results show a significant buffering role for job control on the correlation between sitting, physically demanding tasks and NFR, but not for social support. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that higher job control might be beneficial to reduce high NFR and eventually may help to reduce early drop-out and sickness absence. Further research is called for to confirm the buffering role of job control and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Advanced clinical practitioners' inter-shift need for recovery: a cross-sectional survey in emergency medicine

BACKGROUND

Healthcare settings are high-risk environments for fatigue and staff burnout. The Need For Recovery (NFR) scale quantifies inter-shift recovery, which contributes to cumulative fatigue and may precede occupational burnout. Advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) are an established feature of the emergency medicine workforce in the UK, however, little is known about factors affecting their inter-shift recovery, fatigue or how NFR correlates with formal burnout inventories.

METHODS

A prospective cross-sectional online survey of UK emergency medicine ACPs from 1 September to 30 September 2020. The primary aim was to determine the NFR of these ACPs. The secondary aims were to determine any statistical associations between NFR and selected variables, and whether NFR could reliably predict burnout using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) as a comparator.

RESULTS

There were 529 responses to the survey from 50 sites (response rate: 88%). The median NFR was 63.6 (95% CI 54.5-63.6). Lower NFR scores were found in ACPs who see both adults and children (54.5, 95% CI 45.4-63.6), work shifts of 7-10 hours (54.5, 95% CI 36.3-63.6) and who found it easy to park before work (54.5, 95% CI 45.5-54.5). Linear regression modelling indicated significant associations between shift length, ease of parking, ability to get breaks and feeling overwhelmed. Spearman's rho between NFR and CBI for personal and work-related burnout was 0.741 and 0.766 respectively. Correlation between NFR and patient-related burnout was less at 0.471.

CONCLUSION

This study has shown the second highest NFR score reported in any occupational group. Several factors have been identified that may potentially reduce NFR and could be changed by organisations. NFR could also be used to identify those suffering with occupational burnout.

Measurement Methods of Fatigue, Sleepiness, and Sleep Behaviour Aboard Ships: A Systematic Review

Since seafarers are known to be exposed to numerous job-related stress factors that can cause fatigue, sleepiness, and disturbed sleep behaviour, the aim of this review was to provide an overview of the subjective and objective measurement methods of these strains. Using a systematic review, 166 studies were identified within the period of January 2010 to December 2020 using the PubMed database. Of the 21 studies selected, 13 used both subjective and objective measurement methods. Six studies used only subjective and two studies only objective methods. For subjective assessment, 12 different questionnaires could be identified as well as activity and sleeping logs. Actigraphy and reaction time tests (RTT) were the most common objective methods. In single cases, electrooculography (EOG), pupillometry and ambulatory polysomnography (PSG) were used. Measurement-related limitations due to vessel-related impacts were less often reported than expected. No restrictions of daily routines on board were described, and only single-measurement disturbances due to ship movements were mentioned. The present literature review reveals that there are various routines to measure fatigue, sleepiness, and sleep behaviour on board. A combination of subjective and objective methods often appears to be beneficial. The frequent use of actigraphy and RTT on board suggests good feasibility and reliable measurements with these methods. The use of ambulatory PSG in maritime-like contexts suggests that this method would also be feasible on board.

Need for recovery amongst emergency physicians in the UK and Ireland: a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

To determine the need for recovery (NFR) among emergency physicians and to identify demographic and occupational characteristics associated with higher NFR scores.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional electronic survey.

SETTING

Emergency departments (EDs) (n=112) in the UK and Ireland.

PARTICIPANTS

Emergency physicians, defined as any registered physician working principally within the ED, responding between June and July 2019.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

NFR Scale, an 11-item self-administered questionnaire that assesses how work demands affect intershift recovery.

RESULTS

The median NFR Score for all 4247 eligible, consented participants with a valid NFR Score was 70.0 (95% CI: 65.5 to 74.5), with an IQR of 45.5-90.0. A linear regression model indicated statistically significant associations between gender, health conditions, type of ED, clinical grade, access to annual and study leave, and time spent working out-of-hours. Groups including male physicians, consultants, general practitioners (GPs) within the ED, those working in paediatric EDs and those with no long-term health condition or disability had a lower NFR Score. After adjusting for these characteristics, the NFR Score increased by 3.7 (95% CI: 0.3 to 7.1) and 6.43 (95% CI: 2.0 to 10.8) for those with difficulty accessing annual and study leave, respectively. Increased percentage of out-of-hours work increased NFR Score almost linearly: 26%-50% out-of-hours work=5.7 (95% CI: 3.1 to 8.4); 51%-75% out-of-hours work=10.3 (95% CI: 7.6 to 13.0); 76%-100% out-of-hours work=14.5 (95% CI: 11.0 to 17.9).

CONCLUSION

Higher NFR scores were observed among emergency physicians than reported in any other profession or population to date. While out-of-hours working is unavoidable, the linear relationship observed suggests that any reduction may result in NFR improvement. Evidence-based strategies to improve well-being such as proportional out-of-hours working and improved access to annual and study leave should be carefully considered and implemented where feasible.

Measuring 'Need for Recovery' as an indicator of staff well-being in the emergency department: a survey study

BACKGROUND

The Need for Recovery (NFR) Scale is an 11-item questionnaire that assesses how work affects intershift recovery. Items are summated to form a score with a maximum value of 100. Previously reported scores range from 38 in nurses to 55 in miners. This study aimed to determine the NFR Score among ED staff and to identify whether the NFR Score was associated with characteristics potentially implicated with recovery from work.

METHODS

Staff in a single ED in the South West of England (annual attendances of 93 000) were asked to complete an electronic questionnaire incorporating the NFR Scale plus additional items relating to demographic, work-related and well-being characteristics, in their own time during January 2018. Descriptive statistics are presented, including median NFR Scores and associations with additional characteristics. Thematic analysis of free-text comments from an open-ended question was undertaken.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-eight responses were obtained (80.3% capture). Median NFR Score across all staff groups was 81.8 out of 100.0 (95% CI 72.7 to 81.8). Shift duration exceeding 12 hours, dissatisfaction with work-life balance and self-reported perceptions of burnout were associated with significantly elevated NFR Scores. Themes resulting from the open-ended question were 'barriers to intershift recovery' and 'coping with work'.

CONCLUSION

The NFR Scores in this study exceeded scores reported elsewhere and were associated with some demographic, occupational and well-being characteristics. The NFR Scale has utility to measure the need for intershift recovery among ED staff. A larger study is warranted to identify specific determinants of recovery and to provide recommendations.

Factors influencing the need for recovery in employees with hearing loss: a cross-sectional study of health administrative data

Objective

Need for recovery is a predictor of work stress and health problems, but its underlying factors are not yet well understood. We aimed to identify hearing-related, work-related, and personal factors influencing need for recovery in hearing-impaired employees.

Methods

We retrospectively identified hearing-impaired employees (N = 294) that were referred to the Amsterdam University Medical Center between 2004 and 2019. Routinely obtained healthcare data were used, including a survey and hearing assessments. A directed acyclic graph was constructed, revealing the hypothesized structure of factors influencing need for recovery as well as the minimal set of factors needed for multiple regression analysis.

Results

Four variables were included in the regression analysis. In total, 46.1% of the variance in need for recovery was explained by the factors feeling that something should change at work (B = 19.01, p < 0.001), self-perceived listening effort (B = 1.84, p < 0.001), personal adaptations scale score (B = − 0.34, p < .001), and having a moderate/poor general health condition (B = 20.06, p < 0.001). Although degree of hearing loss was associated with self-perceived listening effort, the direct association between degree of hearing loss and need for recovery was not significant.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the way employees perceive their hearing loss and how they cope with it directly influence need for recovery, rather than their measured degree of hearing loss. Additionally, general health condition was found to be an independent factor for need for recovery. The results should be confirmed by future, longitudinal research.

Recreational possibilities for seafarers during shipboard leisure time

PURPOSE

This study is aiming to document the leisure time opportunities and their actual utilization on board merchant ships.

METHODS

A scientist examined the whole crew on board 22 container ships (323 seafarers; participation rate 88.5%). Data about energy consumption and heart rate were continuously collected during the seafarers' leisure and sleeping time through a SenseWear^® wrist monitor and a Polar watch RS 800 worn for at least 2.5 days.

RESULTS

The seafarers spent an average of 28.2% of the day for leisure time activities and 32.6% for sleeping. A significantly higher energy consumption was found among deck ratings compared to engine room personnel and nautical officers. Across all occupational groups, the variability of the heart rate was lower during sleeping hours than during leisure time. Suggestions for substantial improvement of the leisure time opportunities on board included more frequent and free opportunities for telecommunication (59.1%), shorter work assignments, and a stronger cohesion of the crew. The following coping strategies were paramount: "calming down/settling down" (41.9%), getting in touch with the family (32.0%) and relaxing/sleeping (30.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

The limited heart rate variability during sleeping hours suggests a reduced quality of sleep that might be due to the permanent heaving motions of the vessel, noise, and vibration. The (deck) ratings had more physical activities that corresponded with their higher energy consumption during leisure time. Altogether, there is a need to optimize opportunities for relaxation and recreation on board, taking into consideration characteristics of the different occupational and ethnic groups.

Sleep quality of offshore wind farm workers in the German exclusive economic zone: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To assess the quality of sleep of employees in the German offshore wind industry and to explore factors associated with poor sleep quality.

DESIGN

Web-based cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Offshore companies operating in wind farms within the German exclusive economic zone.

PARTICIPANTS

Workers with regular offshore commitments and at least 28 days spent offshore in the past year (n=268).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Sleep quality in the past 4 weeks, troubles falling asleep or sleeping through in the past 4 weeks, differences in sleep quality between offshore deployments and onshore leaves.

RESULTS

Having problems with sleep onset was reported by 9.5% of the respondents. 16.5% reported troubles with maintaining sleep three or more times per week. The overall quality of sleep was rated as very bad by only 1.7% of the participants. 47.9% of the workers reported their quality of sleep to be worse during offshore commitments than when being onshore. Higher levels of exposition to noise, vibrations and poor air quality were associated with sleeping troubles and poorer sleep quality. Sharing the sleep cabin with colleagues was associated with troubles sleeping through. No association was found for working in rotating shifts and for regularity of the offshore commitments.

CONCLUSIONS

Workers in our study showed frequent sleep problems and poorer sleep quality offshore than onshore. Our results indicate that higher degrees of exposure to noise, vibrations and artificial ventilation are associated with poor sleep quality rather than organisational factors such as shift-work and type of working schedule. In view of the high demands of the offshore workplace and the workers' particular recovery needs, addressing sleep disorders should be part of any health and safety management strategy for this workplace.

A review of the physiological and psychological health and wellbeing of naval service personnel and the modalities used for monitoring

Naval cohorts rely heavily on personnel to ensure the efficient running of naval organisations. As such, the wellbeing of personnel is essential. In an occupational setting, naval service personnel experience a variety of physiological and psychological stressors. Most naval services arrange annual physical fitness and body composition tests to ensure the physical readiness of personnel. However, these tests only evaluate a small amount of physiological capabilities. Components such as aerobic and strength capabilities are assessed, however, other components of physical fitness such as speed, agility, anaerobic capacity and flexibility are not. In addition to the physical capabilities, personnel are impacted by fatigue, nutrition and psychological stressors such as copping in stressful situations or dealing with time away from family and friends. This review will discuss the physiological and psychological factors that affect personnel's wellbeing. In addition to this, it will also evaluate the methods that are used to assess both physiological and psychological wellbeing.

Determinants of seafarers' fatigue: a systematic review and quality assessment

PURPOSE

Fatigue jeopardizes seafarer's health and safety. Thus, knowledge on determinants of fatigue is of great importance to facilitate its prevention. However, a systematic analysis and quality assessment of all empirical evidence specifically for fatigue are still lacking. The aim of the present article was therefore to systematically detect, analyze and assess the quality of this evidence.

METHODS

Systematic searches in ten databases were performed. Searches considered articles published in scholarly journals from 1980 to April 15, 2016. Nineteen out of 98 eligible studies were included in the review. The main reason for exclusion was fatigue not being the outcome variable.

RESULTS

Most evidence was available for work time-related factors suggesting that working nights was most fatiguing, that fatigue levels were higher toward the end of watch or shift, and that the 6-h on-6-h off watch system was the most fatiguing. Specific work demands and particularly the psychosocial work environment have received little attention, but preliminary evidence suggests that stress may be an important factor. A majority of 12 studies were evaluated as potentially having a high risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Realistic countermeasures ought to be established, e.g., in terms of shared or split night shifts. As internal as well as external validity of many study findings was limited, the range of factors investigated was insufficient and few studies investigated more complex interactions between different factors, knowledge derived from studies of high methodological quality investigating different factors, including psychosocial work environments, are needed to support future preventive programs.

Development and validation of a web-based questionnaire for surveying the health and working conditions of high-performance marine craft populations

BACKGROUND

High-performance marine craft crews are susceptible to various adverse health conditions caused by multiple interactive factors. However, there are limited epidemiological data available for assessment of working conditions at sea. Although questionnaire surveys are widely used for identifying exposures, outcomes and associated risks with high accuracy levels, until now, no validated epidemiological tool exists for surveying occupational health and performance in these populations.

AIM

To develop and validate a web-based questionnaire for epidemiological assessment of occupational and individual risk exposure pertinent to the musculoskeletal health conditions and performance in high-performance marine craft populations.

METHOD

A questionnaire for investigating the association between work-related exposure, performance and health was initially developed by a consensus panel under four subdomains, viz. demography, lifestyle, work exposure and health and systematically validated by expert raters for content relevance and simplicity in three consecutive stages, each iteratively followed by a consensus panel revision. The item content validity index (I-CVI) was determined as the proportion of experts giving a rating of 3 or 4. The scale content validity index (S-CVI/Ave) was computed by averaging the I-CVIs for the assessment of the questionnaire as a tool. Finally, the questionnaire was pilot tested.

RESULTS

The S-CVI/Ave increased from 0.89 to 0.96 for relevance and from 0.76 to 0.94 for simplicity, resulting in 36 items in the final questionnaire. The pilot test confirmed the feasibility of the questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study shows that the web-based questionnaire fulfils previously published validity acceptance criteria and is therefore considered valid and feasible for the empirical surveying of epidemiological aspects among high-performance marine craft crews and similar populations.

Age and work environment characteristics in relation to sleep: Additive, interactive and curvilinear effects

Although additive combinations of age and work environment characteristics have been found to predict sleep impairment, possible age x work environment interactions have been largely disregarded. The present study examined linear and curvilinear interactions of age with work environment measures in relation to sleep quality and duration. Survey data were collected from offshore day-shift personnel (N = 901). Main effects and interactions of the age terms with work environment measures (job demand, control, and social support, physical environment and strenuous work) were evaluated. Sleep duration was predicted by a curvilinear interaction, age(2) x job demand (p < .005), and by the age x social support interaction (p < .002); sleep quality was predicted by age x job demand (p < .002). Job control and physical environment showed significant additive effects. At a time when older employees are encouraged to remain in the workforce, the findings serve to increase understanding of how ageing and work demands jointly contribute to sleep impairment.

Work, eat and sleep: towards a healthy ageing at work program offshore

Background

Health management tools need to be developed to foster healthy ageing at work and sustain employability of ageing work-forces. The objectives of this study were to 1) perform a needs assessment to identify the needs of offshore workers in the Dutch Continental Shelf with regard to healthy ageing at work and 2) to define suitable program objectives for a future healthy ageing at work program in the offshore working population.

Methods

A mixed methods design was used applying an intervention mapping procedure. Qualitative data were gathered in N = 19 semi-structured interviews and six focus-group sessions (N = 49). Qualitative data were used to develop a questionnaire, which was administered among N = 450 offshore workers. Subgroup analyses were performed to investigate age-related differences relating to health status and work-related factors.

Results

The importance of good working environments, food, as well as sleep/fatigue management was identified by the qualitative data analysis. A total of 260 offshore workers completed the questionnaire. Significant differences in work ability were found between offshore workers aged <45 and 45–54 years (mean 8.63 vs. 8.19; p = 0.005) and offshore workers aged <45 and >55 years (mean 8.63 vs. 8.22; p = 0.028). Offshore workers had a high BMI (M = 27.06, SD = 3.67), with 46 % classified as overweight (BMI 25–30) and 21 % classified as obese (BMI >30). A significant difference in BMI was found between offshore workers aged <45 and ≥55 years (mean 26.3 vs. 28.6; p <0.001). In total, 73 % of offshore workers reported prolonged fatigue. A significant difference in fatigue scores was found between offshore workers aged <45 and ≥55 years (mean 36.0 vs. 37.6; p = 0.024). Further, a “dip” was reported by 41 % of offshore workers. Dips were mainly experienced at day 10 or 11 (60 %), with 45 % experiencing the dip both as physical and mental fatigue, whereas 39 % experienced the dip as only mental fatigue.

Conclusions

Both qualitative and quantitative analyses identified work, food and sleep/fatigue management as most important program objectives for a healthy ageing at work and sustainable employability program offshore. Future studies should investigate possible causes of dip occurrences and high fatigue scores to identify suitable interventions.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-2807-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sleep patterns of offshore day-workers in relation to overtime work and age

In addition to long contractual hours during offshore weeks (14 × 12 h shifts), many personnel on North Sea oil/gas installations also work overtime, but little is known about the implications of overtime for sleep patterns offshore. In this study, the additive and interactive effects of overtime and age were analysed as predictors of sleep duration and sleep quality among offshore day-workers (N = 551), 54% of whom reported overtime. Sleep duration and quality were impaired among personnel who worked overtime, relative to those who worked only standard shifts; there was also an inverse dose-response relationship between overtime hours and sleep duration. Although the sleep measures were more favourable during shore leave than during offshore weeks, there was little evidence of compensatory sleep patterns. These findings are discussed with reference to known performance and health effects of short sleep hours; formal guidance on overtime work offshore is noted; and methodological issues are considered.

Systematic review of maritime field studies about stress and strain in seafaring

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to summarize and evaluate the current scientific literature on stress and strain on seafarers on board as defined by maritime field surveys.

METHODS

Using a systematic review, 109 studies on the stress and strain experienced by seafarers were identified for the period January 1990 to January 2012.

RESULTS

Only 13 of the identified maritime studies were conducted as field studies, and in 10 of these studies, the focus was on the watch system and/or on fatigue. According to the study results, sleepiness tends to be stronger in the 2-watch system than in the 3-watch system (particularly between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m.). Occasional short sleep episodes appear to provide adequate recovery. Fatigue does not appear to depend on the seafarers' age and is often associated with poor sleep quality; noise and night shifts are also considered to contribute to fatigue. Stress among the seafarers was primarily recorded in sleep diaries (9 times) and with devices for measuring physical activity (4 times). As a rule, a questionnaire was used to assess the strain on the crew on board; 7 studies also additionally recorded biometrical parameters. Only in 6 cases were several groups with different ranks on board investigated.

CONCLUSION

The conducted literature review makes it clear that most maritime field studies have focused on fatigue and watch systems in the shipping industry--in each case as univariate parameters. Thus, scientific field studies with comprehensive multivariate stress and strain analyses on board are required.

Psychosocial work characteristics, need for recovery and musculoskeletal problems predict psychological distress in a sample of British workers

From an original sample of 2454 participants free of self-reported psychological distress, 1463 workers completed a 15-month follow-up. Baseline measures included exposure to job demands, decision latitude, social support and need for recovery. Psychological distress was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire at baseline and at follow-up. The findings showed that medium and high exposure to job demands and social support increased the risk of reporting psychological distress at 15-months (relative risk (RR) = 1.65, 1.45). The highest adjusted RR was observed for workers reporting a high need for recovery after work (RR 2.12, 1.90) and this finding was independent of the effects of job demands, decision latitude and social support. Neither decision latitude, nor low back problems increased the risk of reporting future psychological distress, although neck problems (RR = 1.66) and hand/wrist problems (RR = 1.45) did. It was concluded that need for recovery appears to be an important indicator of individual workers who are at risk of developing psychological distress long term. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This paper reports the findings of a longitudinal study showing that need for recovery from work was the strongest predictor, relative to psychosocial work characteristics (job demands, decision latitude and social support), and musculoskeletal problems, of psychological distress 15 months later in individuals initially free from distress.

Cognitive task demands, self-control demands and the mental well-being of office workers

The cognitive task demands of office workers and the self-control demands of their work roles were measured in a sample of 196 employees in two different office layouts using a self-report questionnaire, which was circulated electronically. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that both factors were associated with mental well-being, but not with physical well-being, while controlling for exposure to psychosocial stressors. The interaction between cognitive task demands and self-control demands had the strongest association with mental well-being, suggesting that the deleterious effect of one was greater when the other was present. An exploratory analysis revealed that the association was stronger for employees working in a large open-plan office than for those working in smaller offices with more privacy. Frustration of work goals was the cognitive task demand having the strongest negative impact on mental well-being. Methodological limitations and scale psychometrics (particularly the use of the NASA Task Load Index) are discussed. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Modern office work has high mental demands and low physical demands and there is a need to design offices to prevent adverse psychological reactions. It is shown that cognitive task demands interact with self-control demands to degrade mental well-being. The association was stronger in an open-plan office.

Age and BMI interact to determine work ability in seafarers

BACKGROUND

Seafaring is known to be a demanding occupation but the implications of ageing in seafarers are poorly understood.

AIMS

To investigate task demands and work ability in merchant seamen at sea and to identify factors predicting work ability.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study carried out on a single vessel during a summer deployment. Instantaneous heart rate (HR) was recorded at 5-s intervals during representative 8-h shifts in 41 merchant seamen. Participants completed the work ability index and also rated their daily task demands using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and demographic details were recorded.

RESULTS

Work demands were found to be moderate according to both HR data and TLX scores. The mean BMI was 27.5 kg/m(2) (standard deviation 3.3) and the mean age was 47 years. The majority of participants rated their work ability as 'good' to 'excellent'. The best predictor of work ability was the interaction between BMI and age, whereas there was a statistically significant negative correlation between HR and age.

CONCLUSIONS

Work ability in this group of seafarers was found to be high and the work was shown to be moderately demanding, on average. Although work ability declined with age and with BMI independently, the best predictor of work ability was the interaction between BMI and age, with increased BMI having a deleterious effect on work ability in older employees doing moderately demanding work.