Carel R S, Carmil D, Keinan G
Department of Occupational Medicine, Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel.
Isr J Med Sci. 1990 Nov;26(11):619-24.
The popular image of life at sea is one of stress: often difficult physical conditions, dislocation, isolation and less than ideal personal habits. In order to determine whether this stressful way of life is manifested when seamen's health status is assessed by standard measurements, we studied 144 sea captains and marine chief engineers as compared with a group of ordinarily employed men. The referent men were matched for age, ethnic origin, and level of education with the seamen. Outcome measures included a wide spectrum of physiological, psychological and behavioral indices. The comparisons revealed only mild differences between the two groups. Captains and chief engineers tend to harbor slightly higher levels of certain biochemical or physiological parameters (risk factors), such as serum cholesterol and uric acid, hemoglobin level and leukocyte count. Certain behavioral risk factors were more dominant among the seamen than among the control group (smoking level, alcohol consumption and lack of leisure-time physical activity). The study group did not exhibit a greater prevalence of overt disease or a higher degree of psychological symptoms. It is suggested that the group under study represents a self-selected group of persons well adjusted to their job and their special way of life.
身体状况常常艰苦、生活混乱、与世隔绝且个人习惯不尽如人意。为了确定当通过标准测量评估海员的健康状况时，这种充满压力的生活方式是否会显现出来，我们研究了144名船长和轮机长，并与一组普通职业男性进行比较。作为参照的男性在年龄、种族和教育程度方面与海员相匹配。结果指标包括广泛的生理、心理和行为指标。比较结果显示两组之间仅有细微差异。船长和轮机长往往某些生化或生理参数（风险因素）水平略高，如血清胆固醇和尿酸、血红蛋白水平和白细胞计数。某些行为风险因素在海员中比在对照组中更为突出（吸烟程度、饮酒量和缺乏休闲体育活动）。研究组并未表现出更高的显性疾病患病率或更严重的心理症状程度。研究表明，所研究的这组人是自我选择的一群人，他们很好地适应了自己的工作和特殊生活方式。
