Occupational Diseases Centre, Teaching Hospital, F-29200, Brest France, France.
Seamen's Health Service, Ministry of Transport, F-92040, Paris-La Defense France.
Int Marit Health. 2024;75(3):147-154. doi: 10.5603/imh.99481.
Motion sickness, is the onset of a series of clinical signs when travelling in a means of locomotion. Boats are the most common source of kinetosis, causing seasickness. Although this condition is often benign, it can severely affect the quality of life of seafarers, as well as the quality of their work. The aim of this study is to focus on the point prevalence and characteristics of seasickness in a population of French civilian seafarers from all shipping sectors.
During two months in 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire containing 28 questions.
One hundred nine men and 10 women completed the questionnaire. Of these, 34% said they were seasick. The main symptoms described by the sailors were nausea and cold sweats in 87.5% and 50% of cases, respectively. The prevalence of naupathy appears to be higher in women (60% compared with 31% in men). Women also seem to be less accustomed to the marine environment than men, with 71% of men and only 33% of women indicating that they get accustomed to life at sea. However, the symptoms of seasickness seem to disappear more slowly in men than in women. In terms of treatment, men (38%) were more likely to take medication than women (17%).
Our study shows a greater susceptibility to seasickness among women. This interpretation should be treated with caution given the small number of women who took part in the study. The relatively low point prevalence of seasickness (34%) could be due to under-reporting. Although ways of thinking are changing, seasickness is still a taboo subject for many sailors. Yet seasickness has major professional and personal repercussions. So it's important to raise the subject and discuss strategies for improving well-being at work.
晕动病是在乘坐交通工具时出现一系列临床症状的疾病。船只是运动病最常见的来源，会导致晕船。虽然这种情况通常是良性的，但它会严重影响海员的生活质量，以及他们的工作质量。本研究的目的是关注法国所有航运部门的民用海员人群中晕船的时点患病率和特征。
在 2023 年的两个月期间，我们进行了一项横断面研究，基于包含 28 个问题的问卷。
109 名男性和 10 名女性完成了问卷。其中，34%的人表示晕船。水手们描述的主要症状分别是恶心和冷汗，分别占 87.5%和 50%。晕船的患病率似乎在女性中更高（60%比男性中的 31%）。女性似乎也不如男性适应海洋环境，71%的男性和只有 33%的女性表示他们适应了海上生活。然而，男性的晕船症状似乎比女性消失得更慢。在治疗方面，男性（38%）比女性（17%）更有可能服用药物。
我们的研究表明女性对晕船的敏感性更高。鉴于参加研究的女性人数较少，这种解释应谨慎对待。晕船的时点患病率相对较低（34%）可能是由于报告不足。尽管思维方式正在发生变化，但晕船对许多水手来说仍然是一个禁忌话题。然而，晕船对工作有重大的专业和个人影响。因此，提出这个问题并讨论改善工作幸福感的策略非常重要。
