Jean Ver P Pia, Roderick Galam, Inga Bartusevičienė
{"title":"Regulating seafarers' welfare: an examination of the protection of Filipino seafarers' well-being through a legal analysis of the POEA-Standard Employment Contract.","authors":"Jean Ver P Pia, Roderick Galam, Inga Bartusevičienė","doi":"10.5603/imh.98244","DOIUrl":"10.5603/imh.98244","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Philippines is the global maritime industry's single biggest source of seafarers. This article examines how the Philippines protects the welfare of its seafarers working on board ocean-going vessels.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We employed a multi-method approach to better understand the POEA-SEC as a regulatory instrument. First, we analysed Philippine legislation and regulations that are shaping the employment, welfare, and working conditions of Filipino seafarers. Second, we examined the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Standard Employment Contract (POEA-SEC) which requires that minimum standards of employment for seafarers are met. We use legal analysis to examine three specific provisions that pertain to their well-being: duration of employment, monetary considerations, and working conditions in terms of hours of work and rest periods. Third, we analysed interview and focus group data on the experiences of Filipino seafarers on board ships in respect of the POEA-SEC's efficacy in protecting their well-being.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analysis of the policy environment for Filipino seafarers shows how the interests of powerful actors have taken precedence over those of Filipino seafarers. Seafarers' experiences suggest that they cannot be reached by the contract, whether symbolic or otherwise. The contract fails to address seafarer issues, such as security of tenure, excessive working hours resulting in fatigue, stress and anxiety.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The POEA-SEC falls short as a legal document to address occupational, health and safety issues, which contribute to the detriment of seafarers' health and well-being. This indicates that the Philippine government cannot fully protect its seafarers.</p>","PeriodicalId":45964,"journal":{"name":"International Maritime Health","volume":"75 1","pages":"10-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140865387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advance Directives at Sea: legal and ethical considerations.","authors":"Man Teng Iong","doi":"10.5603/imh.98721","DOIUrl":"10.5603/imh.98721","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper delves into the unexplored area of Advance Directives (ADs) in maritime surroundings, diving into the moral and legal quandaries that crop up when these directives are used at sea. ADs, which include durable powers of attorney and living wills, are essential documents that indicate a person's wishes for healthcare in the event of incapacitation. Global variations in legal recognition pose ethical questions, particularly in non-regulated jurisdictions. The maritime context introduces unique challenges, questioning the ethical applicability and binding of ADs at sea. Despite international and European laws ensuring medical assistance, the absence of specific provisions for ADs raises uncertainties. The paper advocates for a balanced approach respecting autonomy while addressing practical challenges, proposing solutions and a standardized international framework. This exploration seeks to uphold individual healthcare preferences, whether on solid ground or navigating the open sea.</p>","PeriodicalId":45964,"journal":{"name":"International Maritime Health","volume":"75 4","pages":"262-266"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142915176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thaís M São-João, Azure D Cygler, Kaitlin Cooke, Jennifer McCann, Kimberly J Arcoleo
{"title":"Health and behavior factors, quality of life and productivity among commercial fishermen in Rhode Island, US: a research framework.","authors":"Thaís M São-João, Azure D Cygler, Kaitlin Cooke, Jennifer McCann, Kimberly J Arcoleo","doi":"10.5603/imh.99754","DOIUrl":"10.5603/imh.99754","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Commercial fishermen represent a particularly vulnerable group within the Blue Economy (BE), enduring hazardous working conditions, strenuous labor, prolonged exposure to extreme weather, and irregular sleep and nutritional patterns. The health of these invisible workers holds significant implications for the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of fisheries, as it directly influences productivity. Despite their importance, no public data are available on fishermen's cardiometabolic health and health behaviors in Rhode Island. However, sound evidence suggests elevated cardiometabolic risks, altered sleep patterns, and chronic stress in similar fishermen populations globally. This paper establishes a comprehensive research framework to examine commercial fishermen's cardiometabolic health, protective and risk factors, quality of life (QoL), lifestyle behaviors, and productivity. The overarching goal is to identify potential targets for intervention to improve commercial fishermen's health behaviors, QoL, and cardiovascular health.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Following the STROBE guidelines, this framework includes methodological, societal, environmental, and economic aspects to guide the development of an exploratory study protocol. A two-phase mixed-methods study will be conducted. Phase 1 (qualitative) will hold two focus groups (n = 6-10 participants per group) and will inform Phase 2 (quantitative), where biomarkers, health factors and behaviors, QoL, and productivity of commercial fishermen (n = 59) will be gathered.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Recruitment began in January 2024, and data collection will end in August 2024. The results of this study are expected to be published in 2025.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A framework was developed considering the impact and implications of commercial fishermen's health-related behaviors on BE-based states, sustainable communities, and marine ecosystems. This protocol established a guideline-based, two-phase mixed-methods study to explore the cardiometabolic health, QoL, and productivity of commercial fishermen. Since better cardiovascular health is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease death and all-cause mortality, the findings will provide a situational screening and inform the development of tailored theory-based preventive behavioral interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":45964,"journal":{"name":"International Maritime Health","volume":"75 3","pages":"181-189"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142477359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Maritime accidents in the estuary of the River Seine from 2009-2019.","authors":"Jean-Claude Chatard, Michel Quioc","doi":"10.5603/imh.99407","DOIUrl":"10.5603/imh.99407","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In confined waters, ships run a high risk of groundings, contact, sinkings and near misses. In such waters the maritime traffic is dense, the waterway is narrow, the depth is limited, and tides and currents are constantly changing.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>From 2009-2019, 75 accidents were investigated in the estuary of the Seine. Weather conditions and perceived fatigue were studied. From May to June 2020, 114 seafarers, 34 pilots and 80 captains, responded to a questionnaire focusing on the use of Pilot Portable Units (PPU) and Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The 75 accidents corresponded to an average of 6.8 ± 3.2 accidents per year. Groundings were the most frequent accidents (35%, n = 26) followed by contact accidents with the quayside (25%, n = 19), between ships or tugs while manoeuvring (8%, n = 6) or while sailing (1%, n = 1). There was no loss of vessels nor fatalities of crew members. In poor weather conditions, there were 76% more accidents than in normal conditions (4.4 ± 2.5 accidents/10,000 movements versus 2.5 ± 1.9 accidents/10,000 movements, p < 0.03). Almost all the accidents (96%) were related to human errors of judgment (81%), or negligence (53%), or both (39). Perceived fatigue was probably in cause in 6 accidents. Only 3 accidents were related to mechanical causes. Through the questionnaires, 69% of the pilots complained of difficulties in mastering the devices and software. They felt distracted by alarms which affected their attention while navigating. They requested training on a simulator. Concerning ship captains, 83% felt comfortable with ECDIS devices yet only 20% were able to configure the ECDIS correctly.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the Seine estuary, 75 accidents occurred within the 11 year-study. Risk factors were poor weather conditions and human error. PPU and ECDIS were considered as useful tools in the prevention of accidents. However, pilots and captains requested more thorough training in their use.</p>","PeriodicalId":45964,"journal":{"name":"International Maritime Health","volume":"75 2","pages":"79-88"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141471470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wanesa Richert, Mohammad Othman Atumani, Daria Kołodziej, Krzysztof Korzeniewski
{"title":"Sickle cell disease in the Zanzibar Archipelago, the Republic of Tanzania.","authors":"Wanesa Richert, Mohammad Othman Atumani, Daria Kołodziej, Krzysztof Korzeniewski","doi":"10.5603/imh.99311","DOIUrl":"10.5603/imh.99311","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most severe haemoglobinopathies, a group of blood disorders, typically inherited. The condition affects over 7.7 million people globally and results in more than 370,000 deaths per year. The highest morbidity and mortality rates are seen in Africa and most children with SCD are born in Tanzania. The available literature on SCD morbidity in Tanzania focus primarily on the residents of the mainland, while there is little data available on SCD morbidity among residents of the Tanzanian islands in the Indian Ocean. The aim of the present study was to confirm the presence of sickle cell disease among residents of the Zanzibar Archipelago.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>The study group consisted of 27 people, residents of Pemba Island in the Zanzibar Archipelago, aged between 2 months and 26 years old, whose at least one parent has been diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia. Blood samples collected from the study participants were tested using HemoTypeSCTM, a rapid, point-of-care diagnostic test. The tests were performed at the Amal Hospital (Chake Chake town, Pemba Island) in June 2023.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sickle cell disease was diagnosed in 11 study subjects (40.7%); their haemoglobin concentration ranged between 6.6 and 8.5 g/dL. The presence of the sickle cell trait (HbAS phenotype) was confirmed in 14 patients (51.9%). Only two of the tested patients had normal haemoglobin phenotype.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results of the present study support the necessity to introduce large-scale population- -based screening for SCD in the Zanzibar Archipelago, especially in infants whose family members have sickle cell anaemia. The introduction of such a programme will help monitor the number of new SCD cases in the region and may potentially reduce infant mortality due to SCD as well as minimize complications from SCD in older children through the adoption of effective disease prevention measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":45964,"journal":{"name":"International Maritime Health","volume":"75 1","pages":"43-48"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140866802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prevalence of malaria in Arusha Region in the northern Tanzania.","authors":"Daria Kołodziej, Heriel Zacharia Ammi, Wanesa Richert, Małgorzata Marchelek-Myśliwiec, Krzysztof Korzeniewski","doi":"10.5603/imh.100440","DOIUrl":"10.5603/imh.100440","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The World Health Organization (WHO) reported an estimated 249 million malaria cases globally in 2023, of which 94% were reported from Africa. Tanzania, a Sub-Saharan African country, has an exceptionally high malaria prevalence (3.6 million in 2023). The aim of the present study was to assess malaria prevalence rates in the Arusha Region, northern Tanzania. This region is famous for its national parks and wildlife reserves, and it is visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world each year. The assessment of malaria prevalence in the region is important in the context of the necessity to administer antimalarial chemoprophylaxis to international travellers.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>The study group consisted of 101 people, residents of the Karatu District in the Arusha Region, aged between 1 and 73 years, who volunteered to participate in the screening. Phase I of the study was conducted in July 2022 in the Karatu Lutheran Hospital in Karatu Town (located close to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park). During this phase a venous blood sample was collected from each patient. The samples were tested for malaria using a rapid diagnostic test (mRDT); the same samples were also used to measure haemoglobin concentration and next they were applied onto the Whatman FTA micro cards for further molecular diagnostics in Poland (phase II).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>mRDT detected two (2.0%) infections caused by Plasmodium (the etiological factor of malaria), the molecular tests (RT-PCR) confirmed the two positive results by mRDT but also detected infections in six other samples (7.9% in total). The study found that six patients were infected with the Plasmodium falciparum species, while two other subjects had co-infections (P. falciparum + P. ovale, P. falciparum + P. vivax + P. malariae).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study findings confirm the prevalence of malaria in areas located close to national parks in northern Tanzania and support the use of antimalarial chemoprophylaxis in international travellers visiting the area. The present study found co-infections caused by four different species of Plasmodium species which supports the prevalence of different parasitic species in Sub-Saharan Africa and is in line with CDC reports but contrary to WHO reports which estimate that 100% of malaria cases in Sub-Saharan Africa are caused by P. falciparum.</p>","PeriodicalId":45964,"journal":{"name":"International Maritime Health","volume":"75 2","pages":"103-108"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141471492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Leticia Sanz-Trepiana, Emmanuelle Bost, Camille Jégo, David Lucas, Emmanuel Fort
{"title":"Aggression, psychological violence and sexual harassment in seafarers in France.","authors":"Leticia Sanz-Trepiana, Emmanuelle Bost, Camille Jégo, David Lucas, Emmanuel Fort","doi":"10.5603/imh.99382","DOIUrl":"10.5603/imh.99382","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In a working environment that is predominantly male, very tough physically, with a difficult working environment, occupational exposures and working, verbal and physical aggression can be more frequent than in other sectors. Fishing, merchant shipping and yachting are all sectors where fitness to sail is reassessed every year by doctors in the Seafarers' Health Service. Seafarers are increasingly reporting insulting, violent or sexist behaviour. The main types of abuse seen on board can be verbal and/or physical aggression, humiliation, whether in private or in front of others. Sexual harassment of women is a very worrying subject.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>It was a retrospective observational study which is part of the professional monitoring of seafarers. The target population was adult seafarers coming for a fitness to sail visit. The group was recruited from seafarers aged over 18 who were being monitored by one of the seafarers' health services (or local centres). The inclusion period was 4 months between January and April 2023. All the information was collected using a self-questionnaire developed from the questionnaires of the Surveillance Médicale des Expositions des Salariés au Risques Professionnels (SUMER) for health status, job satisfaction and the European mini-module, verbal and physical aggression and psychological violence at work (based on the Leymann questionnaire), sexual violence and aggression based on the sexual harassment questionnaire and the PCLS-5 scale validated and translated into French to assess post-traumatic stress. The population studied was therefore 788 sailors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study population was predominantly male (82.3%). The average age was 41.4 years (standard deviation = 11.7). 46.7% of seafarers estimate being in very good health. During the past 12 months, overall, 24.5% of seafarers disclaimed having been victim in work-related context of a verbal aggression, with a significant difference according to the gender (21.1% for men and 41.0% for women). During the last 12 months, overall, 3.2% of seafarers have been victim in work-related context of a physical aggression (2.6% for men and 5.8% for women, NS), whereas 10.9% of seafarers reported hostile behaviour at present. Twenty per cent of seafarers reported sexual harassment in the last 12 months. During the entire working life of seafarers, 65.5% of women and 38.2% of men reported sexual harassment, and 38.8% of seafarers stated that they had experienced at least one traumatic event in the last 12 months.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>A quarter of seafarers say they have been the victim of verbal or physical aggression at work in the last twelve months. These figures are high, and higher than those of the global survey on violence and harassment at work carried out by the International Labour Organization. One of the most alarming results of our study is the overexposure of wo","PeriodicalId":45964,"journal":{"name":"International Maritime Health","volume":"75 2","pages":"121-134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141471466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating the depths: exploring seafarers' psychological well-being on board, anchored by the mediating role of resilience and loneliness.","authors":"Nihan Senbursa, Emre Dunder","doi":"10.5603/imh.98445","DOIUrl":"10.5603/imh.98445","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study investigates seafarers' loneliness as a mediating variable between psychological well-being and resilience, and tests resilience as a mediating variable between psychological well-being and loneliness. It also examines the challenges faced by seafarers on different types of ships and evaluates the mediating roles of resilience and loneliness.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The research uses descriptive data analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis with bootstrap-based regression models. An online survey was conducted with 471 active Turkish seafarers using a sociodemographic questionnaire and three standardized scales measuring psychological well-being (PW), loneliness at work (LAW), and psychological resilience (PR). Data were collected between 01/07/2023 and 01/09/2023.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings indicate that ship type is a significant factor in the mediating roles of loneliness at work and psychological resilience. There is a partial mediating role of loneliness at work and resilience in psychological well-being across different ship types. Specifically, loneliness at work partially mediates the relationship between psychological resilience and psychological well-being among seafarers on tanker or bulk carrier vessels, but not on container vessels.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study concludes with suggestions to address the mental health challenges faced by seafarers, emphasizing the importance of ship type in the mediating roles of loneliness and resilience. Regarding the mediating role of loneliness at work, it has been determined that there is partial mediation between psychological resilience and psychological well-being among seafarers working on tanker or bulk carrier vessels. However, on container vessels, loneliness at work does not mediate the relationship between psychological well-being and psychological resilience. Based on these findings, the authors conclude by offering a range of helpful solutions to address this problem.</p>","PeriodicalId":45964,"journal":{"name":"International Maritime Health","volume":"75 2","pages":"109-120"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141471471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}