Health and well-being in maritime pilotage: exploring the factors that matter

Maritime pilotage is a demanding occupation where pilots are required to perform complex procedures in sometimes unfamiliar working environments. The psychological (e.g., stress) and physical demands (e.g., reduced sleep, boarding, and departing vessels) may over time have a damaging effect on pilots’ physical and mental health. This presentation will focus on findings from a recent systematic review on maritime pilots’ health and well-being.<br />Materials and methods<br />The databases Academic search complete, MEDLINE and MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were searched from the earliest available record until 1 May 2015. From an initial pool of 167 manuscripts retrieved, only 18 were peer-reviewed original research and discussed topics associated with maritime pilots’ health and well-being.<br />Results<br />Twenty-nine factors associated with maritime pilot health and well-being were identified, and were categorised into physical (n=14), psychosocial (n=8), and workplace issues (n=7). The most commonly investigated factors were blood pressure or heartrate, sleep or fatigue, smoking and alcohol consumption, perceived stress, and shift duration or cycle.<br />Conclusion<br />Results from the review suggest that the number of modern-day pilots presenting as overweight or obese, and that the prevention of CVD and associated cardio-metabolic risk factors is of paramount importance. In presenting the findings, recommendations for multidisciplinary approaches to better quantify the impact of maritime pilotage on long-term health and well-being will be made.