Injury, Illness, and Mental Health Risks in United States Domestic Mariners

OBJECTIVE: Describe health conditions and injury and illness rates in a population of United States mariners, an understudied workforce vital to economic security. METHODS: In this survey study, mariner health data was collected and analyzed to provide injury and illness rates (including mental health conditions) and associated risk factors. RESULTS: In this mariner population of highly tenured vessel masters and pilots, hypertension, obesity, sleep disorders, smoking, alcohol consumption, and symptoms of depression and anxiety were common. BMI ≥35 was associated with increased likelihood of work injury (OR 5.7; 95%CI 1.01, 32.59). CONCLUSIONS: The mariners were in poor overall health, raising public health and safety concerns in this population of essential transportation workers. Follow-up studies including a wider distribution of domestic mariners (deck hands, engineers) would further characterize occupational risks.